Shawn Reidy, “S. Reidy,” a hip-hop artist from Norman, Oklahoma, is performing at the Norman Music Festival on April 28.
Reidy’s latest EP, “I’ll be Happier When I’m Older,” was inspired by a depressive episode he had last year.
“It was a testament to the power of will,” Reidy said. “And a reminder to never give up, no matter how hard life gets.”
Reidy said he’s most excited to be able to play on the main stage.
“I’ve been going to this thing (NMF) since 2007,” Reidy said. “I’ve done the bigger stages before, but being on the main stage I think is really tight.”
S. Reidy is eager to perform with artists Soul Glo and billy woods, who are performing on the same night.
“I’ve wanted to do shows with both of them for a long time, so getting to open for them and play main stage I think is what I’m most excited about,” Reidy said.
Reidy has had a passion for music since he was young.
“I just grew up always loving music,” Reidy said. “I wanted to play guitar when I was 12. My dad got me a guitar and I wrote a song to play in the talent show in 7th grade and my dad said, ‘That sucks, you’re not playing that. You’re going to embarrass yourself.’ Then I wrote a different song and my dad said, ‘OK, that’s actually pretty good. You can try that out.’”
S. Reidy performing.
Reidy began learning how to mix and master his work at the University of Central Oklahoma.
“I went to the Academy of Contemporary Music at UCO, learned music production and stuff,” he said. “That’s where I learned all the basics of how to mix and master, produce and promote myself.”
After starting at university, Reidy said he found the style of music he connects with the most.
“I used to make really sad acoustic ballads,” he said. “Then when I was 19 or so, I got tired of doing that and I was really into rap music. I just figured it would be the most effective way to get across whatever message I was getting across.”
Reidy said that while his music and writing may come off as serious, he tends to be a goofy person who likes to have fun.
“I feel like when people listen to my music, they think I’m a very serious person. And I’m like, that’s really not the case at all,” Reidy said. “My music is really serious because it deals with a lot of dark emotions. That’s kind of where I vent and a lot of my therapy comes from.”
One of his favorite songs he created is “Save the Date.”
“I feel like it’s kind of my most complete song,” Reidy said. “The verses, the chorus and the way the outro happens. I feel like it’s probably my most front to back, solid, all the way through song.”
One of his favorite parts about performing is knowing the impact he has on a fan.
“Just knowing someone in the crowd somewhere hears these lyrics and are probably applying it to their life in some way,” Reidy said.
“While everyone’s mental health is different, I feel like a lot of what we experience in terms of feeling is the same. I like taking people back with my words, having them be able to apply what I’m saying to their life, hopefully making them feel less alone and more a part of something in the process. You have to remember that the most important part is connecting to people.”
Reidy said that while some people might try to describe his music, he feels that not calling it hip-hop restricts the genre as a whole.
“I hate it when people say, ‘This isn’t hip-hop. It’s more of a different thing,’” Reidy said. “I feel like that kind of puts in a box what hip-hop can be. It’s been constantly changing and evolving. I’ve always been a poet at heart. That’s how I started making hip-hop music.”
Because this is the first time he’s performing on the main stage, S. Reidy has something unique planned for the festival.
“I can’t reveal anything, but … I’m planning on more of an elaborate stage design, my outfit’s going to be on point, and the visuals are going to be cool.”
S. Reidy will be playing Friday, April 28 at 7:10 p.m. on The Garage/Winston Main Stage.
This story was edited by Silas Bales and Emma Blakley. Nikkie Aisha and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
