Photo credit: CJ Cromwell
Shaun Boothe
Hip-hop recording artist, TEDx speaker, founder of the Live Your Legacy Academy and creator of the Unauthorized Biography Series, is coming to the Milwaukee area on Thursday, Jan. 30.
He is Shaun Boothe. And the 30-something Toronto native will bring a chapter of the Unauthorized Biography Series to the stage in this series to present the history and biography of some of the world’s most iconic figures as told through rap songs. “Repackaging History Through Hip-Hop” features Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Bob Marley, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Terry Fox and Malala Yousafzai, among others. Each chapter of the series focuses on one influential figure through the use of documentary-style music videos.
Boothe spent 10-plus years in the recording industry, sharing stages and opening for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli and Snoop Dogg. His desire to educate, motivate and entertain led him to create the Unauthorized Biography Series, which deals with themes of overcoming challenges, diversity, leadership, redefining masculinity and more. Earlier in the day, Boothe will hold a workshop for students at South Milwaukee High School (adjacent to the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, where he is appearing).
As Boothe highlights on his website, ShaunBoothe.com: “The power of hip-hop is in the stories we choose to tell. Our stories can either build us up or tear us down.” Boothe is all about “the build-up.” Come see for yourself.
How did you first come up with and then develop the ideas for the Unauthorized Biography Series?
The idea for the series was inspired by Nas, one of my biggest hip-hop influences as a kid. Back in the day, he released a song that celebrated one of his heroes, Rakim. It wasn’t one of his most popular songs, but I loved it. When James Brown passed away, over a decade ago now, I wanted to create a similar song celebrating “The Godfather of Soul.” When I completed the song, I knew it wouldn't be a full representation of James Brown if I didn’t also showcase all the dance moves and theatrics he brought to the stage. So, we created a video to go with the song. The response was so strong that it only made sense to continue with more bio songs and make a full series out of it.
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How did you choose the people you use in the series?
At first, it was just an opportunity to celebrate my heroes. Putting the spotlight on others instead of myself, then release it to the public. As things evolved and I started to use the bios in schools, things got a bit more intentional. In choosing who I would do next, I really started to think about the life lessons and messages that could be drawn out from the lives of certain cultural icons. A criterion started to develop. It wasn’t just about celebrating fame or monetary success. I started to get clear about why these people were my heroes and the principles, values and mindsets they had.
How do you identify with the figures you rap about in the series?
As beautifully unique we all are, in the same breath, we are all so similar. We all go through similar experiences. We all face challenges, insecurities, resistance. We all have adversity in our lives we have to overcome. The stories of the icons in my series are pretty universal to the human experience, as extreme as they may be. Especially when we dive deeper into the person and not just the persona. One of my goals is to humanize the icons in my series. Celebrate them, yes, but not put them on a pedestal to the point they aren’t relatable or accessible. They’re just regular people who achieved extraordinary results in their lives—and so can all of us. We all have that same level of greatness within us. There is something magical about storytelling where we naturally map everything back onto our own lives. There’s a little Pac, MLK, Bruce Lee, Malala, Muhammad Ali in all of us. Because we are all one. We love hearing the stories of great people because, on some unconscious level, it reminds us of our own greatness. Our own human potential.
Who are your influences in your work? Music? Motivational Speaking? Others that have played a role in your life?
So many. As I mentioned, rappers like Nas inspired and influenced me creatively. Tupac. Kendrick Lamar. Artists who carried a message in their music. I connected with that. I grew up valuing lyricism, wit, metaphors, cleverness, creativity... That was important to me. Jay-Z, Andre 3000, Kanye. So many hip-hop artists like that embodied those qualities and inspired me. As a motivational speaker, I never had someone who truly inspired “how I speak.” At first, I was more thinking about the value they gave me when it comes to my personal growth as a man. Tony Robbins was definitely the entry point for me when it came to personal development. When I decided to pursue speaking as a career, speakers like Eric Thomas definitely inspired me because that was someone I could point to that looked like me. Optics matter. At the beginning, I needed to see other successful black motivational speakers to help me believe I could do and be the same. I got online and searched for that.
Shaun Boothe appears at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, 901 15th Ave., South Milwaukee, on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call 414-766-5049 or visit southmilwaukeepac.org.
