Meet Mashawi Riley

We were lucky to catch up with Mashawi Riley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mashawi, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?

Well, first of all I really don’t care about the haters and nay-sayers and I’m not interested in what they have to say because their opinions don’t matter. I believe especially in the music and entertainment industry you have to build thick skin because you’ll hear everything you’re supposably doing wrong, you’re never going to make it and you’re not good enough. For me I use this as the fuel to my fire. I like to prove people wrong and truly succeed in whatever I’m doing. I also like a challenge, so whenever someone says that I can’t do something I go ahead and do it anyways. I like to go against the norms and do my own thing I’ve always been like that. For example, some people didn’t think I would graduate from College and University in which I did receive my Liberal Arts Diploma and International Relations BA Degree Honours. Also some people didn’t think I would release and do music and I have music out there that I’m very proud of. So I say keep going regardless of what people say and don’t let them or give them the time to occupy your mind.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

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My name is Mashawi. I’m a Singer, Songwriter, and Performing/ Recording Artist with a Fashion Styling background who also models occasionally. My musical sound is unique and you can see a blend of Pop, Hiphop, RnB with an Alternative sound. I like to mix, blend, and play with the different genre styles and make it my own. I have a strong background in music and fashion coming from a family of musicians and being a former Celebrity Stylist. I would like to use my Degree in International Relations and my Diploma in Liberal Arts along with my music and fashion background to inspire the world and to make a forever lasting positive impact.

I was always surrounded with heavy music influences from my family and music being played at home all the time and I really mean it. My mom constantly had the radio station on the channel 93.7 WBLK and I would hear a variety of music but mainly R&B, Hiphop, Soul and Pop. My dad was a Jamaican Reggae Artist who would record albums and plays shows in Canada and Jamaica when I was much younger, so you could see where I get my musical abilities from.

In elementary school I was apart of the band playing the trombone and I sang in the school choir after school. And it didn’t stop there when I went to High school it just continued and I was able to take official music classes both in band and the choir. I also took part in talent shows and school assemblies.

My plan after high school was to take a break from school and move to USA in Atlanta Georgia with my Aunt to continue music there, but life happened and I wasn’t able too. I actually took a break from music to figure out my life and I was also dealing with personal family issues. Within that 7 years break I was able to finish College and University and make meaningful connections which allowed me to transition into the fashion industry as a Visual Merchandiser, Designer Relation Manager, Stylist, Model etc. I’ve gained experience working for a couple fashion weeks such as Toronto Men’s Fashion Week (TOM*), World MasterCard Fashion Week etc.

After all that life experience I felt that something was still missing and I had to return to music and work on my dreams as a musical artist. So since then I have started to do more modeling and walking in fashion shows and I released music a couple EP’s, an album, singles and music videos. I have modeled and walked in many fashion weeks in Toronto and New York City and I plan to keep building on that and see where it takes me. I perform around my local city Toronto and did some shows in New York as well with plans to go on tour eventually. I plan to continue to record new music, make more cool music videos and really keep going and growing as an international artist and brand.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would say the three most important qualities/ skills that got me to where I am today is discipline, effective communication and determination.

In this industry you have to gain and keep working on discipline because you have to be able to do the things you don’t want to do exactly when you don’t want to do it. It’s a really hard thing to do because you have to fight your feelings and emotions and sometimes that includes people you love and outside influences that may have a hold on you. Discipline is when the hard work comes in and it isn’t easy and I’m still working on it myself, but this is where you’ll be tested to see how bad you really want it. How to be better at it is just practicing and getting into the habit of forcing yourself to get up whether it’s practicing on the piano or even exercising when you don’t want to, that’s when you should do it.

Effective communication is key in this world and is a very excellent skill to have and to become better at. To know what you want is one thing, but to be able to communicate that to people is another thing. You need to show people or whoever you’re communicating to you mean business by showing them facts, your knowledge, talents and abilities in a way that they may understand. You may have to do research to backup your point, write proposals, direct messages, emails and book meetings to show them who you are and what you’re trying to achieve. You don’t have to be the best at it, but as long as you ask you’ll make progress regardless. If you don’t ask you won’t receive and the worst thing you’ll hear is a NO, but keep going. To have the courage to ask for anything and to communicate it is one of the ways to get ahead in life.

Determination is the strong will that’s inside of you and knowing exactly what you want and you’re ready to do whatever it takes to get you to your ultimate goal. With this quality you will have to make sacrifices and fight your feelings because you know what you want and you mean business. To some people determination could come across as someone who is selfish or self-centered and I could see that, but it could also mean someone who is focused and knows exactly what they want. You should learn how to be fearless when all odds are against you because you will challenge yourself by pushing yourself through something you were afraid of. And Usually those are the moments when you will surprise yourself of what you could achieve if you just keep pushing your boundaries.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

The one number challenge that I’m currently facing is getting the funding and resources for my music career. It’s not easy and there’s a lot that goes into being a recording and performing artist. You have to write the songs, make the beats, book studio time, mix and master the music and that just the beginning. Then there’s marketing and promoting your music and there’s a lot that goes into it if you want to be a very successful artist and I plan to be. I know there are grants and things of that nature that could help, but they make it so hard to get with all these sometimes impossible requirements in order to maybe receive a small amount of funding. So currently I’m working a 9-5 to make this all possible and it really isn’t easy. I wish I had the time to really focus and work on my craft, like write more, dance more, sing more and have enough time to reflect on my interior and exterior emotions. I feel Iike I would be much further in terms of being better at writing music, singing, dancing, expressing my feelings and in general being a better artist for myself. I have big expectations of myself and I know what I’m capable of so I’ll continue to fund my career myself as much as possible and also look for opportunities to get funding so that I can reach the next level of my career.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

@Prevalentfocus
@Jo.onlee
@Jeanna.theone
@Mealings_photo
@Olabisirm
@Picjerphoto
@Cosplay
@Kyletravisyoung

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