Ebonics
Youth combined with truth, that’s what defines Shelton “Ebonics” Long, the 19-year-old Master of Ceremonies from Providence, Rhode Island. Shying away from the stereotyped image of the average rapper with negative messages about murder, sex and drugs, MC Ebonics’ lyrics focus on the truths of life, including dealing with relationship problems and people who aren’t all they seem to be: “Everything I write comes from the heart.”
Ebonics has transformed a rough upbringing into a successful future: “Growing up was pretty bad. I never had a stable home.” His father was often selling drugs or spending time in jail, leaving Ebonics and his single, world-weary mother to fend for themselves: “My mother and I would get death threats. They would shoot up my mother’s only vehicle, which she didn’t have money to repair at times, so we would be stuck taking the bus a lot. Every negative thing that happened, no matter what, my mother never gave up. She would always tell me that things would get better.” The two eventually moved from Connecticut to Providence, and, finally, to Cranston, Rhode Island.
Ebonics started writing lyrics to relieve stress, and his hobby soon turned into a full-time occupation: “My family knew I was put on this earth to entertain others, no matter what.” Since then, Ebonics has honed his skills with performances in various talent shows, charity events, and in popular venues in the New England region.
Ebonics’ song writing process is freely structured: Freestyling at home often has him jotting down lyrics for later use and he always writes the chorus of a song first. “At times, I automatically know what I’m going to write as soon as I hear the beat. Something inside me paints the picture before I even know what I’m going to talk about. As soon as I come up with the title of a song, I think about how each verse is going to have a different impact on the song as a whole.”
“My biggest influences are artists like Common, Nas, Talib Kwali, Mos Def, and India Arie,” says Ebonics. “I look up to each one as a lyricist and an inspiration.” Since Ebonics also dances, he looks up to Diddy and T-Pain, who both know how to make people feel good through wordplay.
One thing’s for certain: Ebonics has a bright future. He’s already won first place at the Step Up Competition at the Columbus Theatre in Providence. He has a management contract with World Wide Talent Search, and his first professionally-produced “EP” self-titled “Distinguished” is set to be released in the US digitally via Catapult Distribution this Summer.
And, always, Ebonics’ focus is on telling the truth: “I never second guess myself saying, ‘Wow, maybe I shouldn’t have said that certain thing in my song.’” Ebonics is 100% real, now and always. “I can only be me, and nobody else but me.”
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