CONCORD — Shaun “Shauny B” Smith is an artist and journal proprietor who publishes Knocksmith Journal about twice a yr. Having grown up round Pittsburg with a significant affliction for rap and hip hop music, he set out in 2003 to begin his personal document label, which then morphed into Knocksmight Journal.
Whereas he ran his journal since 2016 with a concentrate on print, that includes native skills from across the Bay Space, with a concentrate on highlighting Antioch and Pittsburg areas, he not too long ago began altering his focus to different pursuits. He launched a Knocksmith TV channel on the Roku app to function his do-it-yourself movies, began doing extra on-line advertising work with different corporations and has been experimenting with AI packages to make new advertisements for different shoppers outdoors of music.
This interview, edited for area and readability, delves into how Smith works and measures his success as an area enterprise proprietor and artist.
Q: Inform me a little bit bit about your self, I do know you’ve obtained loads of initiatives. Give me the rundown. What do you’re employed on? The place are you from? What do you symbolize?
A: I’m Shaun Smith, they name me Shauny B. Been working a document label so long as I’ve been a dad. My son and my CDs got here again on the identical day. That was 2003.
I’ve functioned as a label and an artist for some time, and I began doing graphic design someplace in there, which was a fast, simple solution to make some cash. It’s producing earnings so much faster than attempting to work as an artist…That’s form of what led me into advertising.
I took a while off between 2010 to 2014. I took a little bit break. As a dad, I used to be form of reevaluating what sort of route we had been going to go.
My son was born in ‘03 and my daughter was born in ‘08.
I used to be at all times actually energetic as a father, however that was simply form of the time the place I used to be a little bit bit exhausted and needed to reroute. I used to be pissed off with the let downs.
It’s not a simple factor to do, doing something that’s not conservative or the secure route. However particularly on this artistic business, there’s loads of let downs.
Q: Once you needed to juggle being an artist, a producer and being a father, how did you navigate that? How do you progress between being a father and doing your individual ardour initiatives?
A: If I’m trustworthy, I don’t assume I ever actually tripped off of it. The entire thing to me was fairly pure. My dad handed after I was younger, so I already knew.
When my dad handed, one of many issues that obtained me by that point was music. So at primarily at 12 years previous, I used to be fairly already conscious that my mission right here was to have a son so we will stay on, and to make music. As a result of that’s how one can assist.
I nonetheless had stuff to get out of my system. I used to be nonetheless partying. I used to be a younger dad at 22, and I had a son on the best way.
There have been sure issues I needed to get out of my system, simply as an individual. However as a father, my son was my finest buddy, immediately, day 1. We simply did the whole lot collectively.
So far as skilled and inventive (facets) and the place they merge with my household life, it was at all times to incorporate my household and associates nonetheless I can. I’ve been lucky sufficient to create a car to do this normally.
In a few of these journal points…there’s sections the place we simply have random photos, in order that was at all times useful to have individuals included in there, or to say individuals on an album or some credit for a movie or one thing like that. It’s at all times an honor for me to do one thing like that.
Q: Do you’ve gotten a day job?
A: That is what I do full time, however I’ve the (Boilermaker’s) union, the place I work periodically all year long.
Knocksmith is my important keep.
It doesn’t make sense anymore to do 40-hours every week the place I’m tied to a 9-to-5, to juggle each. I might advise anyone to maintain your important investor, which is your 9-to-5, so long as you may.
Lots of people are driving Uber and issues like that as a result of they’ve the liberty to do no matter they will within the arts. It’s laborious to generate cash on this although.
We’ve been at it for some time, and there’s loads of pegs on the board for a much bigger plan that’s coming. I’m not turning down any work that’ll maintain me in form and maintain my pockets lined both.
Q: How do you measure your success on this enterprise?
A: To me, what I’ve observed is that it’s not particularly sports activities or drawing or music. It’s the act of considering of one thing after which seeing it come-to.
Manifestation is a scorching phrase proper now, however the actual idea of that appears like time journey virtually. The crazier the thought, the extra folks that don’t establish with it. Introducing folks that I do know will get alongside…or having an thought and having the ability to actually make it occur, that’s what will get me off the bed.
Q: Who’s behind Knocksmith?
A: There’s a rotating scale, there’s an extended checklist, however on the finish of the day the one one dropping sleep (over Knocksmith) is yours really.
Q: What are you plans for the long run for this journal?
A: We’re in the course of a rebrand for this challenge that’s popping out for the winter of 2025. We modified what the header was beforehand, from ‘Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae and Rap’ to ‘Media, Recreation, Community and Workforce.’
That’s a broader scale, the place we nonetheless get to cowl artists. I’m eager about all of these (matters.)
Shaun “Shauny B” Smith PROFILE
Age: 45
Group: Knocksmith Journal
Title: Proprietor/Writer
Residence: Pittsburg
5 issues about Shauny B
Will eat absolutely anything, particularly if dared to eat scorching scorching peppers
Born in Martinez
Moved properties 13 occasions earlier than he was 13 years previous
Owns two canines, named Bella and Puppin
Preferred skateboarding and basketball rising
