Shenseea is talking motherhood and what it’s like being a woman in the industry in a new interview.
Dancehall sensation Shenseea appeared for a virtual interview this week with Ebro Darden and Peter Rosenberg on HOT97 in New York. During the conversation, the ShenYeng Boss blew through a number of topics, including motherhood, fans, her upcoming album, and being a woman in the industry. Shenseea admitted that she can’t go a day without talking to her 4-year-old son Rajeiro. The child star who is an ambassador for Baby Bop and Chubby is “like a little man,” according to his mom.
The dancehall star said since Raj has been making his own coin, he has been offering to pay for girls’ shoes at the mall and saying he wants an “adult” girlfriend. Little does he know that his mom is literally only giving him the coins from his income while she banks the rest, she admits. Shenseea gave birth to little Rajeiro shortly before she embarked on her musical journey in dancehall. During the HOT97 interview, she recalled how she got started in the industry, giving high credit to her manager Romeich Major for believing in her.
Though she started out as a promo girl for Romeich’s outfit, Shenseea says she was always super passionate about music. After posting covers of other artists’ songs on social media, she quickly began to gain a fanbase of her own that requested original material. It was then when she obliged and began sharing her own music through social networks like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat, that she says Romeich caught wind of her talent, and she began to pursue her music career. Shenseea says she was always a hard worker, and it was something Romeich recognized and rewarded.
Since her rise to fame, the dancehall star has released music with a plethora of artists both locally and abroad namely, Tyga, Young Thug, Swae Lee, Masego, Christina Aguilera, Tarrus Riley, and more. Shenseea is looking forward to releasing her debut album in the spring of next year or sooner. Currently signed to Interscope Records, the “Blessed” singer revealed that “they said” March is earmarked for her first album. According to Shen, she is hoping it will arrive as soon as February. The dancehall artiste says she is excited to see how people gravitate towards her different kinds of music and how the album will perform. Meanwhile, her chemistry with Florida-based Jamaican music producer Rvssian has afforded her a string of hit singles in the interim. The two have worked on a number of projects together, including her solo single “Foreplay,” her breakout international collab “Blessed,” and her most recent hit “Lighter.”
Being a woman in the music industry can be tough, as it is often said that more is generally expected of you. Shenseea was no exception that that double standard coming up and explained that while others would always try to attribute her success to who she laid, she “doesn’t play” about her character and always aimed to keep her reputation clean. “Coming in the industry, I feel like many people actually felt like I had to do something to get to where I want to be,” said Shenseea alluding to speculation that she must have slept with someone in the industry to make it. “Females for me, we definitely have to work harder,” she added. Using performing as an example, Shenseea explained that while male artists can get away with just reciting their songs, women are expected to put on a more provocative show.
“I did not let anybody try to dictate how I perform. No offense, I’m not a stripper. I’m not gonna go on the stage and do all sort of stuff that you would see in the strip club,” she continued. “I just go out there and be myself. I’m an entertainer and whichever thing I need to do while entertaining my crowd how I feel comfortable, not lowering my standards as well, that’s what I’m going to do and that’s what I’ve always been doing.” The Interscope Records artist also expressed how much she loved her fans. “I wish they could just look in my heart and see how much I love them,” she said. The supporters who are collectively dubbed the “ShenYengs” is one of the most formidable fanbases in dancehall music.
Shenseea is truly “blessed’ and is clearly looking forward to more success as her career continues to flourish. Are you looking forward to her first album next year?