In the beginning, it was written… We are all born with innate gifts. It is our duty to embody those gifts and share them with the world. For Brooklyn born lyricist Sherod “Sha Stimuli” Khaalis, this means provoking an emotional response through his music.
Growing up, Stimuli’s inquisitive mind could not be held by your typical childhood sports and video games. He preferred to follow behind his older brother Lord Digga, one of hip hop’s notable producers.
This landed him on Brooklyn basketball courts and in the mix with hip hop legends like Master Ace, members of the Juice Crew, and Big Daddy Kane. Barely a teen, Stimuli found himself engulfed in an era that exemplified the essence of real New York hip hop.
Eager to become a student of the game, he digested everything in his surroundings from beats and lyrics, to talks about the business behind the music. At age 11, Stimuli picked up a pen, and brought his first rhyme to life.
Stimuli officially stepped on the hip hop scene at 14, appearing on Master Ace’s Slaughter House LP. For the next few years he continued to fine tune his writing skills, with not much focus on becoming an emcee.
When Lord Digga began producing tracks for the Notorious BIG, Stimuli gained much respect for Biggie and his signature flow. Having the privilege of being in the studio while Biggie recorded Ready to Die he quickly became Stimuli’s lyrical icon.
When the hip hop world was rocked by the tragic and untimely death of the King of New York, Stimuli knew it was time to step up, grab the torch, and go full throttle with his gift of lyricism. Having gained knowledge at such a young age about the music game, Stimuli was armed with a dangerous flow, and equipped for the grind to come.
He emerged on to the mix tape circuit, leaving a blazing trail of tracks on some of the hottest mix tapes in rotation. In 2003, Stimuli attacked the industry when he released his first mix-tape “Let Me Show You the Way”, where he unleashed his smooth, conversation like flow, combined with sarcasm and metaphorical genius.
Often called “the voice of the people”, his grind had now created a serious buzz in the streets and industry alike. Testimony to that came in October of that year with Stimuli being named The Source Magazine’s “Unsigned Hype”.
In 2004, proclaimed to be the “next best thing “to come out of Brooklyn since Biggie and Jay-Z, Stimuli released his second mix-tape, “Follow My Lead”. His witty, complex verses made you quickly press rewind.
In 2005, staying loyal to his fans Stimuli dropped “Switch Sides”, a CD/DVD combination where he masters the art of storytelling. Similar to the hard baseline of a track, Stimuli’s voice is like the missing instrument.
Street credibility and industry recognition continued to grow, and Stimuli caught the eye of Lenny S, then A & R of Virgin Records. Under the direction and support of his management team CUT Entertainment, and in conjunction with his production company Underworld Music, Stimuli soon negotiated a deal with the major record label.
In 2005, Stimuli displayed his musical talent on a worldwide scale, performing in the first “I Love Hip Hop Tour” in Morocco. After being featured in several publications, performing at various venues, and making radio station appearances in 2006, Stimuli released “New York State Of Mine “.
This mix tape is an official throwback, echoing the classic sounds of New York hip hop. With features from Joel Ortiz, Memphis Bleek, Peedi Peedi, and Maino, New York State of Mine has kept the streets talking.
He also released a video for “Brooklyn Stand Up”, a track off of the mix tape that quickly became the new BK anthem. To date, Stimuli can be found working on his debut album, “Thee Emotion Picture” which features production from hip hop producers such as Just Blaze, Midi Mafia, EZ LP, and Chad West.
With the album being scheduled to be released the third quarter 2007, Stimuli is destined to be a critically acclaimed artist, and a force to be reckoned with!!!!!
