INTERVIEW: Shi Wisdom w/ NOW Magazine
Shi chops it up with NOW in preparation for her performance tomorrow night. Bom bom.
The Billboard charts are full of superstars who started out writing hits for other people: Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Lady Gaga. We perceive their transition into the spotlight as a promotion, and the end goal. But Toronto neo-soul singer Shi Wisdom sees it differently.
“For me, becoming an established writer is more of a priority than becoming a performer,” says Wisdom, born Renee Wisdom. “I will always perform and sing. But that in itself [doesn’t guarantee] longevity. It’s not easy to stay relevant in the scene for many years as a performer, whereas writing is a gift that stays with you.”
So far, she’s doing okay. As well as penning her own songs, Wisdom co-wrote Roc Nation star Rita Ora’s debut single, R.I.P., with fellow Torontonian Drake.
But it’s her rich, versatile singing – part laid-back Erykah Badu, part rolling Beyoncé trill (two artists she’s covered), part edgy je ne sais quoi in her lower register – that’s made her a sought-after headliner.
Wisdom was first an opener at The Known Unknown, a music series started five years ago in the small Bloor and Ossington club Lambadina by Tika Simone. Recognizing the need to spotlight local urban artists, Simone originally called it Intimate & Interactive and intended to perform herself before realizing her calling was showcasing others.