As a member of Lil Wayne’s Young Money label, Shanell has toured with the dreadlocked rapper and written four songs on his “Rebirth” release.
Before her days of hanging with Wayne and the Young Money crew that includes Nicki Minaj and Drake, Shanell tapped into a different part of her artistic side, as a dancer on tours with hardcore rapper The Game and R&B Romeo Ne-Yo.
She’s written songs for Kelis, Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson.
But now, it’s time for her own music to bust into the spotlight.
Shanell, 26, is a Massachusetts native who moved to Atlanta when her parents separated. Though she resisted the move south, her mother enticed her with the prospect of attending Tri-Cities High, the performing arts school known for famous alum such as Keenan Thompson and the guys from OutKast.
Her slow-burning career is poised to escalate this year, though, with another high profile appearance on Lil Wayne’s “I’m Still Music” tour, coming to Philips Arena on Saturday and the release of her first single, “My Button", a pop song with lyrical bite.
The singer, whose style ranges more from pop to punk than R&B or rap, is also releasing her second mixtape in May, with a full album slated for late summer or early fall.
Shanell (who is only identified by her first name), chatted from a tour stop in Orlando about Wayne and her Atlanta history.
Q: What do you think makes Lil Wayne a great rapper?
A: I think he’s clever. He’s found different ways to say the same thing. He’s relatable to young and old. Wayne keeps it mixed.
Q: Along with performing, you’re also the artistic director on the tour. What does that entail?
A: It’s overseeing the whole show. From sitting down with the lighting guys and the stage crew to choreography and sound, sitting with the musical director and making sure everything works. It’s a lot more than staying in your one field.
Q: Did you do any performing while you were at Tri-Cities High?
A: Oh yeah. The musical theater director, Freddie Hendricks, had us perform around Atlanta. There’s so much great talent that came out of Tri-Cities because of Dawn Axam. Kandi Burress, Keenan Thompson, Big Boi, they used to come back to the school and talk to us and teach us the ropes. It was a really good program to be in.
Q: It sounds like you built a strong backbone there.
A: Almost too strong of a backbone. They say that the music business really is a business. What I came up out of was more art, so when rehearsal is at 4 o’clock, I get there at 3:30 to stretch and get ready for rehearsal at 4. A lot of these people say they get paid by the hour, so if something starts at 4, they start at 4. I’m like, do you do it for the check or do you do it because you love it?
Concert preview
Lil Wayne with Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Travis Barker, Mixmaster Mike and Shanell. 7 p.m. Saturday. $49.75-$125.75. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
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