LOS ANGELES, California – With the premiere of a music video for his brand-new single, “Stay,” highly regarded singer/songwriter Shawn Cook continues to reveal personal insights into his past. Duranta Deshawn Cook, who was born in Vallejo, California, grew up amid the challenging circumstances of the Country Club Crest. When his mother was shot and almost died, the neighbourhood violence hit close to home. When he was barely 7 years old, they moved to Chicago and then frequently returned to the Bay until he was about 13 years old.
Shawn’s life was formed by hardships, but music always helped him to see the bright side. As a child, his mother frequently sung songs to him that cultivated his musical taste, but as he got older, hip hop captured his attention particularly. Through performers like Sting, Marvin Gaye, LL Cool J, Michael Jackson, Wu-Tang Clan, and Bay Area luminaries Mac Dre, Too Short, and Dubee, Cook became well-versed in a variety of musical styles.
Prior to becoming the musician known as “Shawn Cook,” he went under the nickname “Vital” because he was motivated to change the world via music. On “Faded” and “All in a Day,” which also features Berner, YG, and Young Thug, he has worked with legendary artists Snoop Dogg and B-Real of Cypress Hill. Since then, he has carried on making history in the business by adding to his resume by earning co-writing credits on Marc E. Bassy’s pop hit “Morning” and J-Grammy-nominated Boog’s album “Rose Petals,” which has received over 156 million Spotify streams to date.
