Exclusive: Shifty Play

A 17 year old young man, who has over came multiple battles. Shifty Play did his first show at Peabody’s Concert Club on, August 13, 2008, I have to say he did good. Multi-talented, not only a rapper, but a producer. Shifty Play currently produces his own music, and has plans in store for the world. Lets get to know the man behind the Soulja Boy Diss “Crank That Shifty Play”.

216thetakeover.com: Who is “Shifty Play”, and how did you get the name?

Shifty Play: Well, I used to be just “Shifty”, I started rapping when I was like 7, and came up with the name in like 9th grade. I heard another rapper is out there with the name “Shifty” already, so we had to change it. I wanted something creative, that kind of described the darker side of me. Play is like more of a meaning, like me.. how I do. Like I play shifty.

216thetakeover.com: Are you still in school?

Shifty Play: Ya, actually I am. I’m in the 11th grade. It’s a big maybe if I’m going to college, because I’m putting my everything into my music. I’m just doing shows, as many shows as I can. Right now I’m exclusively doing them with Peabody’s.

216thetakeover.com: Describe your unique style?

Shifty Play: I feel like I got a newer thing going on, after all this Cappin’ on the radio.  I’d say I’m just real, and hardcore. I feel like my flow is unique, maybe my diction isn’t perfect. I have a different flow going on, and everything I write is hardcore, straight from me.

216thetakeover.com: What made you decide to pursue a career in this business?

Shifty Play: It comes down really to who I have listened to, it started up from them. Like way back when I was really hard into Dr. Dre, Eminem, Lady of Rage,  but now I’m into rock. I’m real big into Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Atmosphere, Stained. I have just a big mixture of artists I listen to.

216thetakeover.com: Your out here independent, how hard is that?

Shifty Play: It’s going a lot better then I thought it was. It’s hard as fuck to get shit together, I’m kind of in a rut when it comes to what songs I’m doing.  All the old shit, like the demo you got was done in my basement. Now I got everything all studio, like if you go on my myspace everything’s been redone.

216thetakeover.com: What are bringing to the table as a new artist?

Shifty Play: In the rap game it’s like you can’t get real emotion out there, everybody’s trying to be like “got money, get hard”. The game ain’t about that no more, we’re evolving again. It’s getting down to real shit. I want someone to hear my song, and feel like I feel, like when I hear Limp Bizkit, take motion from it. Like “that situation happened to me so I get anger when I hear that song” you know what I mean? I feel like I’m bring everything to the table emotion wise, and just hitting it as hard as I can.

216thetakeover.com: Do you have an album in production right now?

Shifty Play: No, right now I keep putting tracks up, like you’ll see some on myspace for a day or, two, and then its. If I don’t like it then I take it down. I do give demos out at every show though.

216thetakeover.com: I must thank you for doing this interview, it was good talking with you

Shifty Play: Your my first interview so I was kind of excited, so thank you!

Check out Shifty Play’s version of Lil Wayne’s A Milli.