Born in Vallejo, California, Duranta Deshawn Cook came up in the hardships of the Country Club Crest. The neighborhood violence hit home when his mother was shot and nearly lost her life. Having witnessed the traumatic experience at just 7 years old, they relocated to Chicago, then back and forth to the Bay until he was around 13.
Music shed a positive light throughout every hardship that shaped his life. His musical taste was nurtured through songs his mother often sang to him as a child, but as he grew, hip hop held a special interest in his mind. Cook found himself cultured in various genres through artists like Sting, Marvin Gaye, LL Cool J, Michael Jackson, Wu-Tang Clan and Bay Area legends Mac Dre, Too Short and Dubee.
Inspired to impact the world through music, he went under the alias, “Vital” before evolving into the artist, “Shawn Cook.” He has collaborated with legends Snoop Dogg and B-Real of Cypress Hill on “Faded” and “All in a Day” featuring Berner, YG and Young Thug. He has since continued making history in the industry, adding to his name, co-writing credit on Reggae artist J-Boog’s Grammy nominated album, “Rose Petals” and Marc E. Bassy’s pop hit “Morning” which currently has over 156 million streams on Spotify alone.
Through his mentor, Dubee, Shawn Cook connected with WashHouse Music Group to continue dropping timeless projects inclusive of his independent debut project, “The Best Kept Secret,” his WashHouse debut, “Failure Is Not An Option,” his Mac Dre dedication, “The Silky Slim LP” and soon to arrive EP, “Claudette.” The project will follow the lead single, “Stay” taking inspiration from Shawn Cook’s previous relationship to create a compelling story revolving around love and chaos. Through a wide arsenal of vocals, flows, and lyricism, Shawn Cook’s “Claudette” is like a mental health guide to relationships for those struggling with defining love.

AFTERLIFE OUT NOW 

bitly.ws/CMZ9

Since launching the Datsik brand, Troy Beetles continues to evolve as a solo artist all the while pushing his beloved bass music world to new lengths, both on a personal artistry level and as a genre as a whole. From bedroom producer to chart-topping artist, internationally touring act, and owner and founder of the enterprising Firepower Records, Datsik is poised to make bass music the sound of the future with his recent Down 4 My Ninjas EP (Nov. 2014 / Firepower Records) and upcoming release Smoke Bomb ft. Snoop Dogg (Nov. 2015 / Ultra Records). 

Datsik took his initial steps into global dominance in 2009 with his first official release, the Nuke ‘Em EP, which set the new precedence of the future of dubstep and bass music. Immediately following that was the Boom EP featuring Excision and the legendary Flux Pavilion as collaborators. In that same year, Datsik claimed 10 Beatport #1 releases. Additionally, he has also released massive remixes for dance music icons Skrillex, Diplo, Kaskade, and Zedd, as well as two collaborations with Bassnectar and two more with Diplo on his Express Yourself EP. He has also remixed artists from the mainstream pop world and hip-hop spheres such as Coldplay, Lil Wayne, MGMT, Linkin Park, Wu-Tang Clan, one of the biggest influences on his sound, and, most recently, Lana Del Rey.

Nonetheless, Vitamin D, his debut artist album released on Dim Mak Records in 2012, remains his gleaming trophy of work. Rightfully so, as Vitamin D was the first project to illustrate the full spectrum of Datsik’s production cannon and to give glimpses of the artist’s potential as a producer and songwriter. Vitamin D was the first major milestone of many to come in the Datsik storyline. The next chapter came in 2013 in the form of a two-part release, the Cold Blooded EP and the corresponding Let It Burn full-length album, both released on Firepower. While shorter in length, Cold Blooded packs as much a punch as big brother Let It Burn. Hand in hand, Cold Blooded and Let It Burn comprise the knockout one-two punch in Datsik’s artillery.

Datsik stands at a point of transition with his recent EP Down 4 My Ninjas. It exemplifies a more mature Datsik, both in sound and in vision, as it sees the producer taking vast steps outside of dubstep and deeper into his ever-burning fondness for hip-hop. In essence, it is his love letter to the hip-hop and bass music genres and sees a full circle for Datsik as it combines the best of both worlds. Featuring collaborations with DJ Paul of renowned Southern rap group Three 6 Mafia and the legendary KRS-One, Down 4 My Ninjas sees Datsik keeping one foot in bass and one foot in hip-hop and, for the first time ever, sees the artist pairing his original productions with bona fide, universally celebrated members of the rap world. 

With Down 4 My Ninjas in tow and a hefty supporting tour scheduled for 2015, expectations are higher than they’ve ever been for Datsik. Beetles welcomes the challenge, though. It’s what’s kept him developing since those bedroom producer days, and it’s what verifies Datsik as one of the leading figures in the bass music scene of today and tomorrow.

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