*In 2007, clubs across America were blasting the edgy sound that mixed mosh pit music and hip-hop beats.
The Grammy-nominated trio, the Shop Boyz (Demetrius “Meany” Hardin, Richard “Fat” Stephens, and Rasheed “Sheed” Hightower), dominated the Billboard charts with their hood rock anthem “Party Like a Rockstar.”
By layering guitar riffs, violin, heavy bass, drums, and hip-hop tracks, the Shop Boyz created a unique sound that took the country by storm and garnered them with the #1 selling ringtone bringing in over $3 million.
They took an 8-year hiatus from the industry, but now they’re back with a fresh sound that is bigger and better than ever.
Comebacks usually have a negative connotation in the entertainment industry. It’s easy to understand why comebacks are often seen as an unsuccessful attempt to stay relevant by “washed-up” artists when you look at Ashanti and JaRule touring the nation impersonating the Carters, or when you take a look at Ma$e’s career starting as a rapper to a pastor and back to a rapper again.These failures aren’t the case for the Shop Boyz; they are working overtime to join the ranks of those who have successfully reemerged into the industry, such as Justin Timberlake after a 7-year hiatus, and Britney Spears after her meltdown in 2007. “It wasn’t us that decided to ‘comeback.’ Fans all over the world want to hear our music, so I would say we’re back by popular demand” says Richard “Fat” Stephens.
Since their hit, “Party Like a Rockstar” in 2007, the Shop Boyz have been working to elevate themselves from boys to men. Between 2008 and 2011, the Shop Boyz released various mixtapes and EPs, but nothing that captured America’s attention quite like “Party Like a Rockstar.” Now they’re back with music that is sure to take America by storm.
The Shop Boyz have taken the hood rock sound we all know and love and have expanded upon that with their new mixtape Gift and a Curse and their EP Shop Boyz Reloaded. While Gift and a Curse sticks with the more traditional “hood rock” that the Shop Boyz are known for, Shop Boyz Reloaded branches into Pop, EDM, and Country.
“We stress to people that we are entertainers. ‘Party Like a Rockstar’ gave us the opportunity to travel the world and get a feel for other genres. That’s when we decided not to limit ourselves in any way…Everything we do has rockstar mentality. Rockstars are people who make their own rules, create new lanes. That’s what makes rockstars stand out and that’s what we’re doing musically.” – Richard “Fat” Stephens
That lack of boundaries is evident on the Shop Boyz Reloaded EP. “Party All Night” is a reggae-inspired club anthem while “Sunrise” is an electronic rave dance track. “Born to Be Bad” uses similar guitar riffs seen in “Party Like a Rockstar” and “Dream On” emphasizes the Shop Boyz southern roots. “Country Girl” is a completely different sound that utilizes a live banjo player and an acoustic guitarist to blend genuine country with hip-hop. “On and On” is a cultural wake-up call to inspire a movement about police brutality in society. The Shop Boyz have consistently experimented with sounds that prove that they cannot be confined to one genre.
Now that the Shop Boyz are back, “Expect the unexpected. We base our music on being different, yet entertainment. We’re a Grammy-nominated group, so when we are in the studio, we go back in with a Grammy-style, rock star attitude,” says Stephens.
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