“MUSIC IS THERAPY FOR ME, SO WHATEVER I PUT OUT IS WHAT I PUT OUT. I WANNA KEEP IT AS AUTHENTIC AS POSSIBLE.”

- SHANTÉ

Shanté’s voice is one of those rare ones —

Pure, unfiltered, and completely her own. Whether it’s the gospel-infused ache of Clip My Wings, the effortless authenticity of Party on Mars, or the confessional intimacy of Cry 4 U, her music doesn’t just sound good, it truly put you in all the right feels. The 21-year-old East Oakland artist is staking her claim in R&B, blending gospel roots, neo-soul warmth, and Bay Area grit into something that can’t be boxed in.

It’s easy to see an artist shine from a distance, but getting closer? That’s when you really start to see the diamond glimmer; the sacrifices, the self-discovery, and the relentless faith taking shape like perfect imperfections throughout.

From hopping on BART to record her first feature in SF to becoming a vital force in the Good Compenny collective, Shanté has stays betting on herself and her God given talents. Music is more than just a craft—it’s therapy, survival, and a way to process life’s highs and lows. Whether she’s reflecting on being a young mom, her faith, or her community, every lyric feels like a late-night conversation with a close friend.

In our conversation, we dive into what fuels her creative process, her deep-rooted connection to gospel, and the growing pains of adulthood. She speaks candidly about setting boundaries, protecting her peace, and the reality of making it as an independent artist. And of course, we get into the rapid-fire questions, because how else do you really get to know someone?

At just 21, Shanté is moving with intention, unapologetically shaping her own legacy while staying true to her roots. And if you ask her what success looks like? It’s not just money or fame—it’s a life rich in love, creativity, and freedom. She’s only just getting started, and we’re lucky to witness it.

Welcome to the world of Shanté Ford-Where authenticity reigns, faith guides, and the music always tells the truth.

Absolutely. So the audience knows a little bit, I've been following your journey for almost five years, I believe. It's crazy to see the universe line things up and watching your growth has been so awesome. I'm so excited to be here. 

Yeah, thank you!

Of course. Let's start off by telling us a little bit about yourself for the people that don't know. Start with your name, where you're from, your age, and how long you've been doing what you're doing. 

My name is Shanté. I'm 21 years old and I'm from East Oakland. And I've been doing this for a long time. I've always been musically inclined, so I've sung for as long as I can remember. I really love music. But when I first recorded my first song ever, when I first hopped in the studio, it was this collab with this guy named Jules Dorado. He's from SF and he's actually the one who introduced me to LaRussell for the first time and that's where we met. I hopped on his song and I think it was 2019, and I think it's still up on all platforms.

Love it! What's the name of the song?

It's called Yours Truly. 

Cute! Talking a bit about your music, walk us through your process when creating. What does that look like for you? 

When I'm in the studio, I don't like being in the studio with hella niggas. It just crowds my brain. I choose to have only a few people, or just me and my producer. I usually mumble stuff at first, then I listen to it, then go back and write it, and then go back and record it. Or if we're on crunch time or whatever, I'll start just free writing. I write my own stuff, so I just go in the corner and start brainstorming. I don't like when you're in the studio and [there is] this one part playing over and over and over again while I'm trying to write. That's why I like going into a corner and I'll think about my lyrics without the actual music playing and just have the music playing in my head. 

That's awesome. So you listen to the production before you start writing lyrics? Do you ever have lyrics already in your head that you want to incorporate?

Usually, when I go in, I lay down whatever I feel. Whatever I get out is how I've felt in the moment, or how I've been feeling during the week or month. For me, music is therapy, so, whatever I put out is what I put out. And I wanna keep it [as] authentic as possible.

Because we went every Sunday, and I'm the youngest so I grew up around a lot of older people. I grew up with my grandma- she passed away five years ago, but she was really important to me. She wasn't really all that religious, but I remember this one time I asked her if God could move the house and she was like, "If he wanted to," and I was like, "Wow, that's crazy. Like God is really powerful for real." But, I felt like she was religious, but she just didn't force that on me. 

That's good. 

Yeah, I feel like that's a good thing.

Would you say that this is something that you bring on within your own family now? 

Yeah, I do try to go to church every Sunday now. My journey with God has been a journey, but I'm getting closer to him. I definitely feel like everybody right now needs to get close to God for real because a lot is going on. Like, bro, we are at war. A lot of shit is going on in the world. You never know. He might come tomorrow. We need to repent! [laughs] 

Feel that heavy. It's really awesome that you're able to share your journey with God within your music. There's a lot of people that believe in God, especially when shit goes down and in times like these, but they're not always so vocal about it.

Exactly. 

I think it's really awesome and inspiring.

You turned 21 this month, so congrats!

[laughs]

That's a big milestone! You dropped multiple songs and albums last year, which was insane how much you put out! 

Thank you.

I always go back to one of my favorites, Party on Mars, which definitely is your most played song. What do you think about that track specifically that brings people back? 

I think it's the authenticity of it for real. It wasn't really mixed, bruh. LaRussell mixed it- [laughs] LaRussell mixed it and he knew damn well he did not know how to mix, but I trusted him, and look at what it brought! And it was honestly a great time for me, but also a pivotal time. A lot [was] going on, but a lot of good things were happening at the same time. This was on the Protection EP. That's my first EP. 

And this is before LaRussell was going by LaRussell right? He was going by a different name.

Oh, Tota!

Yeah!

I think this was right after that. I think it was when he was going by LaRussell [already]. He was like, pull up [and] I was like, bet. Me and Jules Dorado, I knew him from this open mic when I was probably like 15 or 14 [laughs] 

A baby!

Yeah, I was going to open mics and really just expressing myself creatively and vocally, and that's when I met Jules. He had DM'd me, like, "Bruh, I got this song." I was like, "bet." So I took [the] BART all the way to SF, by myself. I had to be at least 15 turning 16.

Crazy. We all thought we were grown at that age though. 

No, for real. Went to SF, and got it done. Then he hit me up like a month after that. He was like," Come through if you want to shoot some content for our song." I'm like, I'm like, "bet, where's that?", [and] he's like, "Vallejo." "Ooh," [laughs]," BART doesn't go all the way to Vallejo." [laughs]

It don't, [laughs] Gotta take the ferry.

So I asked my dad to bring me, to take me. We went, and that was my first time meeting LaRussell. And, this was when he was doing the backdrop live sessions. Maybe 2021, I think. 

Gotcha. That sounds right. 

Yeah. 2021. And, yeah, I was singing backgrounds for Jules that day specifically, for content. After we shot, LaRussell was like, "Bruh, you don't need to be singing background. Nigga, you got a voice.", and I'm like, I know, right," [laughs] I just came out here to do some content or whatever for my guy, you know Jules dorado He's like, " do you have anywhere to record," and I was like, "Nah," and he [said], "all right, bet. Come through.". So I texted him and we exchanged info and that's when I first met his mom and everybody. It was really amazing for real.

That's awesome. It's really cool to hear how that journey just unfolded. Watching from the outside, you just see what you put out. And I remember that back backdrop session with you with your locks hella long.

Yeah, 

I remember you, even missed one of your lyrics and I was so into the song that I was just there singing it anyway.

[Both laugh]

It's really cool to see that. Since we're talking about way back, I remember Valerie, I think that was probably the first time I ever heard you, it was your cover of Valerie.

Wow.

You were a kid and even I was a kid watching that. I remember the Bay Area Pride was real.

You know, fun fact, LaRussell requested for me to sing that song, I didn't even know the song. 

Really?! That's so funny! 

Yeah, I didn't know the song. I looked it up on YouTube real quick because that's usually how I did my covers and shit. I'll just look it up and practice it. I'll have my journal and literally write down the lyrics and just go over them. So that's what I did.

Yeah. 

I can see it. I love taking that moment to speak those into existence. You know what I mean? 

Yeah. 

Your sound blends R&B with gospel and pop, and angelic high notes. Talking a little bit about Smile. What made this album different and marked it, unlike the rest of the music you have put out, before?

I feel like, [Smile] gave me room to vocalize, what I was feeling, and it was one of my first [times making] gospel music. I've always wanted to [and] I was really just going through it, y'all don't even know. All of my songs have heavy meanings behind them and events that happen in real life. A lot [was] going on. 

Absolutely. Thank you for sharing. Talking more about vulnerable moments, Clip My Wings is another amazing song that really gets you closing your eyes and feeling every single part of that journey- asking for guidance and standing strong within yourself. When you wrote that, do you remember what was weighing on your heart?

I remember when I first wrote it, I had a black journal and I would just write stuff in it. This was a couple of weeks after I did the Jules Dorado content with LaRussell, and I was just like, "You know what, I'm finna take this shit serious. I'm finna write some more songs." I don't know, It just came to me. I was going through a lot with my living situation, my parents, and everything- there was just a lot going on. And I always listen to YouTube beats, so I was [ on YouTube] and this [beat] was the first thing that came up. Then I went to LaRussells' to record and he kind of helped me with a couple of lines. We recorded it but I didn't like how it sounded. Maybe three years after I finally recorded it with Simon, Hokage Simon, and he's an amazing and wonderful producer. That's my bro, dog for real.

You guys did the whole album Smile together, right? 

Yeah, we did.

His work is great and I definitely have heard of him [throughout] the Bay too, but I definitely was put on, I think, by you and while also talking to some of my friends out there and them being like, "Oh, you gotta check him out." Going back real quick, the cover art for Clip My Wings is you singing while Noel looks out the window. What a seriously powerful image.

Yeah, it is.

Has motherhood changed the way you see yourself as an artist and the way you navigate this scene?

Hmm...

You're such a young mom for sure, as well as you're definitely young in your career still. 

Yeah. 

How would you say that's changed the way you see yourself throughout this process?

That's a hard question. I mean it's definitely been a positive impact on my life for sure. But it's also been traumatizing, [laughs]. People don't talk- well, I feel like people now are talking about how traumatizing being a mother is and not only being a mother but birthing a child and being a parent. It's not just you anymore. While you're birthing your child, you're birthing a whole new you. It definitely has allowed me to have stuff to talk about in my music, for sure. And it has built character in my voice and my development.

If Noel could understand every lyric right now, what song of yours would you want him to like to hold on to as he like grows up? 

Probably Clip My Wings. 

Totally, I feel that. It's a very powerful, encouraging, and real song.

Yeah. 

That's amazing. What does your support system look like at home, and within your career? Do you have any personal heroes? Besides your grandma, 'cause I know that's a big one. 

Kind of rocky, really, but don't get me wrong, I have a lot of support from outside of my actual family. LaRussell, Mally, all of the Good Compenny people. Randy. Monty, on the keys. A bunch of people. Honest. Spinny. Everybody, you know what I'm saying? I thank God that I'm able to have a support system through music, cause music is life, for real. I'm really appreciative that I was able to run into people like them. 

Chosen family is really important, especially as you do, you know, grow your own family and community with your baby and whatnot too. As you grow older, I think chosen family is everything, especially when coming from maybe not the most stable places. I had a bit of a rocky childhood too and I definitely hold on to my chosen family because they taught me how to navigate through the world. They taught me what was right and wrong and I give all the credit to my chosen family for looking out for me in my early adulthood.

Yeah, I feel it. 

Moving on a little bit, this line, "Conserve your energy, don't let yourself become one of your enemies," has really stuck with me from Proud of Me. I thought that was hella deep and relatable. What does protecting your peace look like for you now? 

Protecting my peace. That's a good question. [laughs] Protecting my piece to me means boundaries. Setting boundaries, that's something I need to start doing for real.

It's hard when you weren't even taught that, I don't know about you, but I didn't grow up being taught I could even have boundaries. 

Me neither, bruh.

I get that.

I had to learn the hard way. 

Oh, I feel you there. 

I'm still learning and shit. I'm young still, but at the same time, I am a full-grown adult. So it's just like, fuck, bruh. 

Totally. 

I've been in actual adulthood for a couple of days and I'm already tired [laughs]

Feel you there, I do. [laughs] That's so funny. Talking a little bit about, smoking weed. Comes up a lot in your music. Is that a big part of your creative process?

Definitely.

What's your go-to strain? Or do you have a favorite type? 

I do, I like sativa.

Okay. 

I don't like that other shit. I can fuck with a hybrid but Indica be having me too stuck. [laughs] With sativa you can still be up and doing stuff and have fun and have energy. 

Totally. I would say your energy already leans on the lower side without that being a negative thing, it's not a negative thing. I'm on the higher side for sure. So I'm kind of the opposite. I like a hybrid, but sometimes I really want like a high Indica to kinda chill me out. We're completely opposite in that aspect. 

Mmmmm, yeah. Because I am already chill, but I don't want to be too chill too.

I hear you. [laughs] That's too funny. Moving on you've been in the Bay your whole life, right? You were born at that hospital that we were so privileged to be able to include in the photo set by GP. Do you ever see yourself leaving the Bay or do you see yourself there for life? 

I definitely see myself leaving out of here. I'm trying to get the fuck out ASAP. [laughs]

[laughs] Where would you want to go? Any dreams?

I'm trying to get out of here. I'm trying to go to New York, but New York is hella expensive too, so I don't know, I'm just trying to get out of this planet. [laughs]

You're always welcome out here, and I will show you around and what's up.

For sure. For my first apartment though I most definitely wanna be out here in Oakland. Until I can actually get the money to move for real, but right now the focus is getting the money to move out. You know what I'm saying? So temporarily, yeah, I'll stay out here for real. 

Totally. And, you know, even me, like, I want to travel, I want to see the world, but I will definitely have a home in the bay once I can afford that. It's home. There's nothing more relaxing than the pace in the Bay. Out here this shit is so fast.

Yeah. 

Alone!

Period. Bay Area summer or Bay Area winter? 

Shante: Bay Area summer. 

Okay. I would never say that about New York. 

[Both laugh] 

Late-night writing or early-morning inspiration?

Ooh, early morning. Yeah. 

Neosoul or hyphy movement. 

Fuuuuck. What about both?

Ayyy.

[Both laugh] 

That's totally valid. Would you say a house party kickback or a backyard jam session? 

House party kickback. 

Period. Sneakers or heels? 

Sneakers. 

Yeah, I was surprised to see you in heels in these photos. 

Bruh! That was crazy. 

Period. Give me something different! [laughs] Freestyling or written lyrics? 

Written lyrics, yeah. 

And would you say 90s R&B classics or like that early 2000s hip-hop vibe? 

90s R&B classics! 

Feel that, totally. Alright, ending this out, with two questions. What does success look like for you? 

What success looks like for me is having a home. Having a home, that's bearing fruits in the backyard, you know what I'm saying, you got land and shit. A home with your own family, you know, your kids, Your husband. And just an equal connection with your people. That's success to me, I feel like that's being rich right there. When I say I'm trying to get rich, that's what I'm talking about. Not only financially, but like, the environment, you know?

Rich in love, rich in support, and in community.

Yeah, 

I feel that I feel like that's a really big kind of difference between our generation and the generations that come before us. They were so tunnel vision with "I gotta make money, I gotta put food on the table" and these things are important, absolutely. But not at the sacrifice of your mental health or your physical health.

Right!

I love to hear that. Last question, what words of encouragement would you give to other young artists and black creatives who are just starting out or looking to leave their own mark in their fields or in the music industry? 

It's not supposed to be easy. So don't feel like, "What, what am I doing wrong?" Cause I think that all the time. I'm like "Why is this not as easy as it looks like for other people?" But that's the tea, it looks like, you know what I mean? And if we pull back those curtains we see the nitty gritty and we see the real tea. So I think that's great encouragement. And I think it's important to also consistently encourage yourself and I think you do a really good job with that in your music.

Yeah. 

I love that. And I'm excited for our viewers to hear your story from behind the curtains a little bit. 

Yeah. Thank you so much. 

Of course. Thank you boo. We appreciate your time hella and are looking forward to what's next with you!

“JUST DO IT. IT'S ALL A MINDSET. AND IF DOESN'T WORK OUT, MOVE ON. IT'S NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS, BUT IT CAN BE. IT'S ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE. ”

- SHANTÉ