Who is Shortyo?!
Self-proclaimed as “King Of The Kounty”, rapper/entrepreneur Shortyo is fast becoming known as the guy that every other guy wants to be. Besides having a charming personality, fast cars, and successful businesses, he is also rising above his local sensation status with his pop-inspired Hip Hop as the vehicle for his clever wordplay and music. Richard Hentosh was born in Chester, PA on January 31, to a single mother who was only 15. Though raised with strong convictions and morals Shortyo repeatedly proved himself as a “problem child”. With no father in his life and living on welfare and section 8, Shortyo turned to the streets for guidance. In the following years, Shortyo disassociated himself from the negative people in his life and began to walk a path that even he had no idea where it would lead.
I got wind of Shortyo via a dm and then had a chance to listen to his latest project Supervillain and felt he’s on the right track with his craft and so wanted to highlight him a little bit. I think he’s got what it takes to make a difference in the community of music and he’s laced us with a dope project to prove me right.
The Hype Magazine got Shortyo to weigh in on a few things!
From the outside looking in, who is Shortyo?
Who is Shortyo? I was born in Pennsylvania and grew up with a single mother on section 8 and welfare, I started writing music at age 9-10, my influences at an early age were west coast rap like Ice-T, Eazy-E, and NWA. Struggled a lot of my life being the oldest of 5 kids to a single mother. In high school, I had to sell drugs to put money in my pocket.
Was there a defining moment that brought you to the music industry?
At 19 I became a father and that’s when I started focusing on making music in recording studios and perfecting my craft.
Tell us about your experience as a signed artist and what made you go indie!
I signed my first deal in 1999 and released my first album in 2001, I was on tours with Bad Boy, Nelly, and more. In 2009 I released my first major album “King of the Kounty” on Koch Entertainment, the first single “That’s Right” features Lil Wayne and was considered for a GRAMMY in 2009. I was signed to Universal Music Group from 2011-2018 where I released an album featuring Rick Ross, Nate Dog,g and more.
How did you feel getting your gold record for Cheat Code off your album?
In 2020 I left universal and decided to go independent. I decided to go indie to be able to own my music and have the freedom to release music that I wanted and not be tied down to any labels. In 2021 I released my newest album “Supervillain “, the first single is called Cheat Code and it features Offset from the Migos, that single was released a few months ago and is now gold status. When we got notified that the single went gold it was an amazing feeling because it’s something I have always wanted to do.
Tell us about your current project?
The new album is a testament of my life, I have songs about growing up, songs about my life and my family. The album features Wiz Khalifa, Offset, and Kat Dahlia.
Tell us about your passion outside of music
Outside of music I enjoy being a husband and father and teaching my kids about all-around business and inspiring them to create their own destinies. My son started a tech company at 14 and was listed as the youngest CEO ever in Pennsylvania. That was a proud moment for me outside of the music business.
What has been your funniest WTF moment thus far in your career?
I have millions of WTF moments but one that sticks out is when I first got into the industry and my album had just come out, I was in the mall and it was the first time I ever got recognized in my city outside of my circle, was a surreal moment, you would have thought I was Jay-Z as happy as I was walking through the gallery mall lol
About the Author
Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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