The Artist Shank was born in 1983 in London and was named Chinedu Naze. The young Shank grew up in Lagos, attending primary school and university in Lagos....
The Artist Shank was born in 1983 in London and was named Chinedu Naze. The young Shank grew up in Lagos, attending primary school and university in Lagos. His time spent growing up in the sprawling metropolis of Eko influenced Shank into becoming the socially conscious performer that he is. From an early age, Shank knew that his calling was to music. Shank attributes his understanding of music to Fela, one of the greatest African musicians to emerge from Nigeria. Fela spotted Shank’s innate talent at an early stage, taking the young man under his wing. Shank’s artistic streak emulates from his father who toured with the artist himself, Fela, playing on tour as part of his band. Encouraged to pursue a more traditional route, Shank studied Creative Arts at the University of Lagos, further refining his artistic talents. However, the call to perform never went away. Shank was spotted by Starville in London mesmerizing the audience in an MC battle. The management of Starville knew that they had to bring Shank back to Nigeria, offering him a contract there and then on the back of a flyer. Two weeks later, Shank was in the recording studio producing “Julie”. Shank’s music does not fit into conventional definitions; his music is an eclectic mix of R&B, reggae, dance and hip-hop, reflecting the diverse range of influences gathered through his journey across Europe back to Africa. His first album “The Birth” is due to be released in February. Drawing inspiration from his childhood sweetheart, Shank wrote the single “Julie” - a celebration of the perfect woman. Shank is not merely a natural-born performer; he also wrote all of the music on his first album. Shank’s musical caliber is reinforced by the rubber-stamping of existing artists such as Akon, D’Bang and the Ying Yang twins, all of whom have agreed to collaborate with him on his first album. Whilst staying true to his artistic nature, Shank is also cognisant of the commercial angle of his music, recognising what the market wants and what will have people dancing in the streets. Shank is currently performing live in Lagos and Abuja as part of his promotional tour for his album.