Everyone wants success but doesn’t necessarily know how to get there except to try with the right attitude and a lot of hard work. Media influencer and rap personality Karin “Sho-Time” Thornton realized early on that no one was going to hand him the opportunity to become who he is today. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, he went out to create it for himself and penetrated the rap scene.
The beginning of his career was not a walk in the park just like any other venture is, but Sho-Time was determined to pursue the direction he wanted in life, and that is to make a name in the battle rap community – a niche subgroup of individuals that exist in the entertainment industry. By staying focused on his goal, he was able to build himself as an effective brand in the niche he chose.
Sho-Time immediately saw an opportunity to provide a solution for a community that is open to possibilities. Seeing that there is potential in optimizing the limitless possibilities available by going digital, he decided to strengthen his brand by putting out valuable content on different platforms. This is how Sho-Time came up with the idea to launch Sho-TimeTV to the world – a promotional platform for the battle rap league. Eventually, Sho-Time established the Sho-Time Battle Rap League to allow new talents to be heard and discovered.
Aside from the usual video content he puts out, Sho-TimeTV is also filled with daily news and blog content that speak about the music industry, the latest on the battle rap scene, and other new projects fans should look out for. The site was also instrumental in reporting the death of Bronx rapper Fred the Godson. It was also a key factor in popularizing the controversial video of Tekashi 6ix9ine.
“I want people to believe in themselves and don’t wait for someone to discover them, when they already know they are great! The whole point is to enjoy doing what you love and be paid for it,” Sho-Time explains.
For any brand, Sho-Time believes in the importance of building a unique identity. Developing this identity can be in the form of imagery, sounds, or logos that people can easily connect with or identify to. He also believes in staying consistent to the brand amidst the constantly changing environment it belongs to.
When it comes to marketing a brand, Sho-Time subscribes to the proven and tested digital marketing strategies most businesses use, such as boosting posts, strategic product placements, and covering trending content. Sho-TimeTV, however, uses a new approach that has proven to generate more followers, that is, using information cross-pollination. It means using information that appeals to a larger and well-known community in order to drive traffic for niche groups.
By covering red carpet events, featuring up and coming artists, giving the new breed of rappers a platform, and offering new trending topics, Sho-TimeTV is fast becoming one of the most influential digital platforms in the music industry today. This was all made possible by Sho-Time’s hard work, perseverance, and commitment.
Sho-Time admits to having sacrificed and lost so much to get to where he is now. He has lost a wife and some family members because they did not believe in his vision. He believes, however, he is where he ought to be – helping others rise up and contributing to the building of a new generation of music artists.
Learn more about Karine “Sho-Time” Thornton by visiting his website.
Opinions expressed by NY Weekly contributors are their own.
