W
ith Trick Daddy, Trina, Plies and Rick Ross as their flagship artists, Miami, FL based record label Slip-N-Slide has played a prominent position in Southern Hip Hop. But R&B music has never been their forte. That is until now. Slip-N-Slide’s newest acquisition, Shonie, is looking to take the label known for Southern rap classics like “Nann Nigga” and “Shut Up” into a new direction in 2009. While being the first female R&B artist on Slip-N-Slide is a heavy weight to carry, Shonie is up for the challenge.
Although her indie deal didn’t work out, her name started becoming familiar, and buzz from the mixtape started to grow. Shonie began making headway in the Miami music scene by working with Slip-N-Slide artists Trina and Qwote, which led to interest from the label’s CEO, Ted Lucas. “I was working with the label before I signed with [Slip-N-Slide],” she says. “I was working with Trina on her single ‘I Wish I Never Met You,’ and another one of their artists, Qwote. So I’ve always been around but I don’t think Ted [Lucas] really noticed me until I came out with the mixtape.”
“I feel some pressure when I think about nobody doing this before from SNS, and everybody is counting me,” says Shonie, the 20-year-old songstress. “They’re depending on me and I can’t screw this up. I’ve got to do what I need to do and do it well.”
She went on to sign with Slip-N-Slide, and since joining the label’s roster, the blossoming singer has already worked with Flo Rida, Trick Daddy, Cool & Dre, in addition to her guest appearance on Trina’s album Still da Baddest. And now that her first single “Can’t Let Go” featuring Fabolous is starting to bubble, the thugs and goons of SNS better get ready to share the spotlight with their new R&B princess.
Born in the Bronx, New York, Shonie moved with her family to Miami when she was 9 years old. Shonie’s mother discovered her daughter’s talent when the young singer joined the church choir, and shortly after, Shonie recorded her first song. She continued singing and recording, and at 17, she was offered a recording deal with Miami independent label South Beat Records. It was there that she met her manager, James Jackson, who helped her release her first mixtape, Street Heat Vol. 1, hosted by DJ Khaled.
46 // OZONE MAG
Words by Randy Roper
Patiently Waiting