White Plains, New York rapper Shorts presents the self-directed music video for “Good Space”, his new single featuring Breeze Mantana set to appear on Shorts’ forthcoming mixtape Long Story Short. Shorts says the new single is about “perspective and controlling g your mood. Good energy and good vibes usually puts you in a good space. Be you – they love you!” Shorts also recently released visuals for “Money” (Youtube) also featuring Breeze Mantana as well as Loose. Long Story Short drops July 5th.
How did you get your stage name?
I was a dipset head (pause)... couldn't tell me I wasn't down with them... wore pink to prom, yellow diamonds in the ears, slick talk on ten, shoutouts to Cam for that! I say that to say I used to go to Harlem with my older cousin Large... 145th and Broadway to shop... not only to shop but with hopes to bump into one of The Diplomats. So I think his name was Black. Used to sell the cds across the street from BJs in front of my man Yaya's spot I. forget the name of it. I hadn’t been out there to shop in so long bruh. Anywho, Black called me Shorts one day in the introduction of one of our convos and I'm like “naaa that's hard, I'm running with that.” And at the time people was callin me Lil Jay because I was short and my government name is Jaycen, not to mention my cousin’s name was Jay Large. So when I got back to the Plains (White Plains, NY) that day I couldn't wait to tell niggas “don't call me Lil Jay no more, call me Shorts.” And I think Black was affiliated with the Dips through the Taliban or whatever, so I thought I was down for sure lol... couldn't tell me I wasn't from Harlem... telling my niggas like "yo Harlem my second home homie." lol ahhh my I got mad love for Harlem, they supaaa influential - especially Dipset!
What made you decide to become a rapper?
I'd have to say things just started to make sense. I always did my thing in school, played sports - basketball football baseball for like one year. And I was like “naa I'm not feelin it… imma let my little brother do that.” I was always considered a little fly nigga, so somewhat popular, cool with everybody, was throwing parties in high school with my CBE Cakey Clique brothas (Young, Slim, Swayne). All that developed somewhat of a following before social media... ended up graduating from UConn in ‘11 with a bachelors in communications, so my thought process was all over the place, trying to figure it all out at this point. I always loved writing and was like a class clown, center of attention, leader type of guy... enjoyed public speaking in college... never been camera shy either. So I start playing around with the whole rap shit after the big bro Double taught me how to write a sixteen... Double gave me the foundation... so I play around with it a bit more, start spitting for cats, but couldn't wait to say "I don't rap though... I'm not a rapper." Couldn't wait to detach myself because I hate the stigma attached to rap/rappers... you tell people you rap and they either a) don't take you serious as an individual or b) assume that's all you have to offer. Just a whole lot of judgmental shit associated with it. I started spitting with the local dudes in the area who rap... Vet was like one of the first niggas I rapped with then word of mouth and niggas were like "yo Shorts is aight". I started getting FTs from the malleys and jon tons so I'm like “ohh ok, I must be doingg something right.” But I still thought I was trash... when I ended up linking with the the big bro Loose on our first feature then we did several joints to follow. I was like “naa I'm kinda nice” because Loose is the top dawg in the town spitting. He’s not just doing multiple tracks with just anybody... he gave me the confidence I needed to rap... so at the time I'm also on this fence about wanting to manage, and rap people from the town was callin me Diddy. I'm like “chill chill.” Along the way I stumble across big bro Merlot... nigga approached me on that “I heard you the man I need to talk to” bullspit lmao (he's gonna be rolling when he reads this). So I'm like “yeah what's up.” He was like “I heard some of your shit. You’re aight man.” So I'm like “peace king, let's build.” lmao anywho he spit some shit and I'm like “naaa this mulatto mafuckaaa a beast...” My eyes lit up (thinking I had one on the management side of things lol) so once again he heard about me wanting to manage because I was Double's manager for a sec, but that was short-lived because there was only so much I could do... Lo stopped all that shit at the door though and told me verbatim "you're not in a position to manage." He's like “just rock with me my nigga… let's build and go through beats and shit, nothing forced...” We started rhyming together, freestyle sessions like a mug in the driveway, then get a couple tracks done, so now my confidence is supaaa up because everybody's telling me I'm getting better... obviously because I'm sparring with a heavyweight. Steel sharpens steel and ya know that lol... so Lo gave me the confidence to actually be a rapper... with all that being said I'm 28, single, with no kids. I might as well take advantage of the circumstances and chase this dream... and I never really dreamed to be a rapper but I've always dreamed to never be regular... making music gives me the perfect excuse to be myself... don't ask me why I rap! (my brief go-to when people ask lol)
What’s the first rap song you ever heard? Describe the moment.
Ohh damn I'd be lying if I said I remembered but I'll say "Still Feel" by Jadakiss. Probably the first song I heard as a rapper and connected with so heavy... it was just so relatable, like all his music, but that specific track made me realize how you could really touch someone through music.
How did “Good Space” come together?
Going through beats on youtube I come across that joint and I'm like “it's lit, I needs this...” shit, probably my favorite beat off the project Long Story Short droppin July 5th... see what I did there lol... but umm yeah the beat brought me to a place of not giving a fuck like you're so comfortable in your skin it irks people... almost comes off as arrogance but more so supreme confidence... that's where the hook came from: "this good space give me my feet... niggas couldn't see me since whatttt hide and seek"… Once I came up with the hook everything else wrote itself... The song was sounding monotonous with me doing the hook and verses so Lo suggested I have someone else do the hook... and who else better than Breeze... he got that gritty NY sound, not to mention he remind me of Big L... I reached out and he like "say less gem, let us cook" he didn't say that exactly but that's something he would say lol... word and the rest is history...
What are your predictions for 2016’s presidential race?
Can't front, I'm not even fully indulged but would be dope to see what Hillary could do, and that's like the closest we'll ever get to having Bill back in office... Whatever happens Trump can't win, I'm sorry, and if so we're doomed lol... but yeah man it's Black Vanity... White Plains, Westchester NY, fuck wit us... we coming baby… nothing else worked except work... Shorts on the check out!
