Shea Rose (SESAC)

Abe Olman Scholarship, 2012

Awards & Accolades

2012: Named one of Boston’s Sexiest by Stuff Magazine
2012: Red Bull Soundstage SXSW featured artist and fan-driven contest winner
2012: SESAC National Performance Activity Award for collaboration on Grammy award-winning jazz album, “The Mosaic Project”
2011: Boston Music Award Winner, R&B/Soul/Urban Contemporary Artist of the Year
2010: Chosen by Queen Latifah as spokesmodel for CoverGirl Ignite Your Persona campaign

A Boston native, singer/songwriter Shea Rose graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2011 and was quickly embraced by local fans and media. Winner of 2011 R&B/Soul/Urban Contemporary Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards, the Boston Globe named Rose the “artist most likely to make an impact on the national stage” in 2012. Steve Morse, former music critic at the Globe, described her as “that rare artist who can bridge diverse styles such as soul, funk, rock, rap and jazz—and bring her unique stamp to each.” Queen Latifah even called her “America’s next female rapper.”

Rose’s first release came in 2010 when she produced the “Rock ‘n’ Rose” EP, followed a year later by the “Little Warrior” mixtape, both showcasing her range and versatility with songs that highlight her influences, from Janis Joplin to Run DMC.  Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald describes her repertoire as “sweet folk ballads, thunderous hard rock and deep funk. She also raps with a wicked flow that belies her newcomer status.” Lauren Carter, also of the Herald, says “Shea Rose has created her own niche…a blend of hip-hop, R&B, jazz, funk and rock that leaves her virtually peerless in the urban-music world.”

The influences that color her live performance are equally as diverse. Noelle Janka of Performer Magazine says that her energy onstage “calls to mind the raw energy of Rage Against the Machine’s Zach de la Rocha…She’ll get the whole crowd jumping up and down, almost yelling the lyrics,” but also notes the contrast of her acoustic sets, where “Rose’s stripped-down stage setup – sans drum kit or bass – really complements her presence.” Martin Caballero of the Boston Globe recounts her 2011 Boston Music Awards performance: “She lit up the room with a striking combination of raw energy and polished musicianship, leading her band as they fearlessly bounded through the myriad of hip-hop, rock, and funk influences that colored her 2011 mixtape ‘Little Warrior,’ ” adding that, “Shea Rose is now on the fast track to success.”

In addition to her 2010 and 2011 releases, Rose was featured on Terri Lyne Carrington’s 2011 Grammy award-winning jazz album, “The Mosaic Project,” where she worked alongside Nona Hendryx, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves and Esperanza Spaulding, among others. In March of 2012 Shea received a SESAC National Performance Activity Award for the collaboration.

Off stage, Rose is dedicated to music for social change, working with local organizations through her social outreach project, My Angel Wears A Fro, and with Music2Life, a non-profit foundation started by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary. She supported Sam Sparro on tour in Boston and New York in April before heading into the studio to record her second full-length EP, “Dance This Mess Around.”
www.shearose.com
www.onesheet.com/shearose