Dallas lyricist and American hip hop/spoken word artist, ShySpeaks (AKA Shy Amos), has graced the stages of many, alongside notable creators such as Ludacris, Jeezy, Tye Tribbett, GRAMMY award-winning artist Bun B and countless others. But in a post-George Floyd world, her purpose and calling as an artist has never been stronger.
Empowered by the movement and impassioned for change, the talented creative is spurring action through two of her latest projects for 2021.
Her new music video “King Remix” features Louisiana rapper Dee-1 and honors the late Kobe Bryant as an uplifting anthem for Black and Brown boys — the young kings. Directed by Laterras R. Whitfield, the video will world premiere on Revolt TV, Friday, February 6th.
“I wrote King because I watch so many Black boys and men move in ways that show they truly don’t understand the power that they carry,” Shy said. “There is a line in the song where I say ‘if you knew it, you probably would do it better and stopping you would never be a go, I just don’t know if you know’, so who better than a queen to help them see who they really are.”
The video includes footage of the 100 Brilliant Boys of Color photoshoot that took place on January 26, 2020 at the African-American Museum of Art — just moments before the world learned of Kobe Bryant’s passing. In the film, Shy surrounds herself with young kings, showers them with encouragement, while Dee-1 offers wisdom to the black and brown boys, on the power of their brilliance. The video is also on display at ShySpeaks.com.
The 5-time award-winning Spoken Word Artist of the Year takes it a step further with her upcoming event, Civilized Concert and Conversation on March 6th at Gilley’s beginning at 7PM. Hosted by Big Thought, the community event will be headlined by ShySpeaks, and features performances by Maya Piata, Van Gammon and Sean C. Johnson. A special video appearance will also be made by Emmy Award-Winning NBC5 Morning Anchor Laura Harris. The conversation panel curated by Urban Specialists will spark progressive dialogue and acts for change.
“The Civilized Concert and Conversation is just me sticking to my life’s mission to combine my artistry with my activism. I like to call myself an ‘artivist’. We need to keep the community informed and involved civically so we don’t find ourselves with another Donald Trump. People are going to get to see great performances while also learning how they can be involved in their communities.”
Civilized is a socially distanced and safe drive-in community event. Tickets are available at ShySpeaks.com, with General Admission at $35 and VIP at $55. 1 ticket will cover 1 vehicle of up to 8 people.
The “artivist” will keep busy with the release of her new music video, the Civilized DFW event and the restart of her social media Free Lunch Friday music series beginning February 12. Her latest EP, Civilized, is set to drop this Fall.
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