Shawn Chrystopher facts for kids

Shawn Chrystopher Garrett II (born July 22, 1986) is an American rapper and music producer. He first became well-known in 2008. This was after he released his first mixtape, I.W.G.: I Wear Glasses. A clothing company called LRG supported this project. Shawn Chrystopher has worked with many famous artists. These include Timbaland, Owl City, and Big Sean. He has collaborated with musicians from many different styles of music.

In 2014, Shawn released three albums. The first one, Summerlove, came out on August 12, 2014. He worked with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Timbaland on his first official album, "The Lovestory LP". This album was released on July 23, 2013, through Shawn's own music company, Honour ROLE Music, LLC.

Shawn Chrystopher's Early Life

Shawn Chrystopher was born and grew up in Inglewood, California. His mother worked as a hospital secretary. She raised Shawn by herself. His father, a barber, worked many different jobs. Shawn's father, Shawn Garrett Sr., passed away in 2009.

Shawn was a very smart student. He skipped from kindergarten to 2nd grade. This meant he finished high school when he was only 16 years old. After high school, Shawn received a scholarship to the University of Southern California. There, he studied political science.

Shawn Chrystopher's Music Journey

Starting His Music Career (2008-2011)

When Shawn was in school, he learned to play more than five different musical instruments. After his second year of high school, his God-brother bought him a YAMAHA QY-100. He encouraged Shawn to start making his own music.

Shawn spent a few years developing his unique sound. In November 2008, he released the first part of his "I.W.G." mixtape series, called "IWG: I Wear Glasses". Over the next year, he released two more "IWG" mixtapes. These were "IWG 2: I Told You So" and "I.W.G. 3: Third Time's a Charm". Together, these mixtapes were downloaded over 300,000 times.

In the fall of 2009, Shawn released his first full album, "A City With No Seasons". He released it on his website, Honourrolestudent.com. Shawn produced most of the music on this album himself. Music websites like Okayplayer.com and HipHopOfficial.com praised the project. They called it one of the "most artistic projects of the year".

In March 2010, Shawn released his next project, "The Audition EP". Famous DJs Mick Boogie and Terry Urban hosted it. This album continued the style of his previous work. "The Audition" was downloaded over 35,000 times in its first week.

After two tours across the country, Shawn released his third album, "You, And Only You", in December 2010. Critics loved it. The album featured his popular song "Catch Me If You Can". This song was shown on BET's 106 and Park as the "New Joint of the Day" on January 5, 2011. Shawn's album release event in New York's Times Square was even covered by VIBE Magazine. In the months that followed, his music videos, songs, and interviews gained over 4.5 million views online worldwide.

More and more artists wanted to work with Shawn. He recorded two verses on the song Alligator Sky with Adam Young from Owl City. This song was the main single on Owl City's album All Things Bright and Beautiful, which came out on June 14, 2011.

On October 3, 2011, Shawn Chrystopher released his fourth free album, "Silent Films for the Blind". This album had 15 songs and was sponsored by Xbox.com. It featured other artists like Ashly, El Prez, and Mann.

The 'Lovestory' Series (2012-Present)

The mixtape Lovestory. was released on July 26, 2012. It was a preview for his first official album, Lovestory LP. Shawn released it independently through his Honour Role Music company. The mixtape included guest artists like GLC, Dom Kennedy, and Mann. Longtime friend Zaire Koalo helped with the music production. The famous record producer Timbaland was also an executive producer. By December 2012, the mixtape had been downloaded over 100,000 times.

Shawn found inspiration for his mixtape from UK artists. These included James Blake, Gang Colours, and Tinnie Tempah. The songs "One of My Homies" and "Situation" featuring Dom Kennedy were very popular from the mixtape. Shawn explained that Lovestory. is not just about love between a man and a woman. It's also about the love between friends, family, and the passion for a dream.

On May 7, 2013, Shawn released his first single, "Minding My Business". It was available on iTunes and other major music stores. The album The Lovestory LP was released on July 23, 2013. Hip-hop blogs like HipHopDX and DJBooth praised it.

Shawn took a break from music and social media for several months in late 2013 and early 2014. In June 2014, he started releasing new music on his SoundCloud page. His first two new songs used classic hip-hop beats. After that, he released original music. During his break, Shawn recorded enough material for several albums. He announced that he would release three albums before the end of 2014. The first album, "Summerlove," was released for free. Timbaland was the executive producer for this album. It was released on LiveMixtapes on August 12, 2014.

Brand Partnerships

LRG Clothing

In 2009, Shawn Chrystopher signed a deal with the clothing company LRG. LRG had supported Shawn's first two mixtapes. In July 2009, LRG featured Shawn Chrystopher in a full-page advertisement. This was part of their 10th-anniversary celebration. The ad promoted LRG's Fall 2009 clothing line. It also promoted Shawn's digital album "A City With No Seasons." The ad appeared in the August issue of XXL magazine. It was also used in online ads on many music and fashion websites.

Xbox

On May 12, 2011, Xbox introduced Shawn Chrystopher to the gaming world. They let Shawn "take over" their social media accounts. Shawn answered questions from fans about games, upcoming music, and touring. Both Xbox and Shawn hinted at a bigger partnership in the future. This included more joint promotions and special Xbox items designed by Shawn Chrystopher.

Music Releases

Studio Albums

• A City With No Seasons (2009)
• The Lovestory LP (2013)

Mixtapes

• I Wear Glasses (2008)
• The Audition (2009)
• I Wear Glasses 2 (2009)
• You And Only You (2010)
• I Wear Glasses 3 (2011)
• Silent Films for the Blind (2011)
• Lovestory. (2012)
• Summerlove. (2014)
• N3WPRINT (2014)
• Chrys.WAV (2015)

Singles

• "Catch Me If You Can"
• "One of My Homies"
• "Minding My Business"

Songs Featuring Shawn

• "Alligator Sky" (Owl City featuring Shawn Chrystopher)
• "H Town (Remix)" (GLC featuring Shawn Chrystopher)