SXSW 2012

Born in Canada and raised in both the Bahamas and L.A., Shane Eli is a producer, rapper, songwriter, music instructor and modern day renaissance man. After graduating college on a football scholarship, Eli decided to devote his time and energy to producing music. A self-taught musician with no formal training, he draws on his diverse background and an eclectic music collection – ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to The Clash to Danger Mouse - to craft his distinct and highly versatile sound. Shane Eli has released two independent albums, The Push and I Can Do Better, which he wrote, performed and produced entirely by himself. His music has been placed on episodes of CSI, Friday Night Lights, and No Ordinary Family and in the summer of 2011, he completed an original score for the independent British feature film Pulp. As a producer and songwriter Eli has worked with artists ranging from Diggy Simmons - son of hip-hop royalty Reverend Run of RUN DMC - to six-time Grammy Award winning funk legends, Earth, Wind & Fire. He’s also opened in concert for established hip-hop stars like Common, Ludacris, Talib Kweli, J. Cole and more, as well as performed at the South X Southwest and the A3C music festivals.