La'Shawn

La'Shawn (born August 21, 2002) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is known for his volatile personal relationships, particularly his well-publicized triangle with aging diva Vanessa Viik, and young starlet Monika Perez. He is also known for his remarkable rise to fame following his discovery by singer/songwriter Bette while on holiday in the tropics. La'Shawn's talents behind the microphone as well as behind the control desk have made him a hot commodity in the music industry, leading him to collaborations with Shell Ruin, Aurora Reed, Alex Washington, and Monika Perez.

Early Life
Born in 2002 to an average, upwardly mobile home in East Flatbush, a neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York, La'Shawn gravitated to music early in life, taking a deep interest in piano and vocal music in his church. His parents encouraged his talent, and by his teens, he was performing around New York City at open mics, clubs, and slam poetry readings, where audiences gravitated to his dynamic, eloquent style.

2021-22: Career beginnings, Signs
While on holiday in 2021, La'Shawn struck up a friendship with teen popstar Bette, who became entranced by his unique blend of hip-hop, R&B, and vaporwave, and arranged a meeting with executives at Apathetic Records. La'Shawn was signed that spring to a multi-album deal. His first album, Signs was released in early 2022, and reached #1 in the UK.

Four singles were released in the UK from the album, with all but one reaching #2 in the UK charts. During this period, La'Shawn met veteran R&B star Vanessa Viik, and the two recorded a song together, La'Shawn's second single, "Open". The track and subsequent video brought the pair close together, despite a vast age difference between the two artists. In the fall of 2021, the pair publicly acknowledged their relationship. The relationship became estranged following La'Shawn's featured spot on Monika Perez's 2021 single, "Made Of Steel". The highly-publicized triangle between Viik, Perez, and Michaels came to a head during Viik and Michaels' joint UK tour in 2022, when Viik abandoned the tour minutes before the final tour stop, which was to be recorded for TV broadcast. Viik returned to New York, releasing a statement revealing the affair between Perez and Michaels.

All promotional activities for all three artists' albums ended after the conclusion of the tour, with Michaels returning to New York to regroup, before scoring an unexpected hit in the US with Signs track, "Throwback" in the fall of 2022.

2023-present: Heartbreak Studies
La'Shawn took the time out of the spotlight to work on multiple projects, including a new drama series for Paramount+, entitled "East Flatbush". The series was set to be released for streaming in the summer of 2023, but was temporarily put on hiatus thanks to the ongoing SAG/AFTRA and SAG labour actions. Despite this, La'Shawn's first single in over a year, initially to be released as part of the Paramount+ series, entitled "Glass Boxes" was released in September 2023, becoming La'Shawn's first #1 hit in the UK.

Heartbreak Studies, La'Shawn's second album, is set for release in early December 2023. The album chronicles his complicated life following the release of his popular debut album, and his romantic entanglements with singers Vanessa Viik and Monika Perez. The album is a decidedly more soulful affair than his first album, with La'Shawn largely singing on this album, rather than rapping. The album mixes 60s and 70s soul with modern, heavier hip-hop inspired beats, and features collaborations with Paulo Araujo, Stacy Stacks, and NIAA.

Studio albums

 * Signs (2022)
 * Heartbreak Studies (2023)