Shawn Rivera _vocals: shawn@slaamd.com After studying rudimentary piano and drumming with his neighborhood drill team, Shawn began his musical journey as a lead singer in his high school gospel choir. Shawn's talents earned him a Jazz Voice Scholarship at Philadelphia's prestigious University of The Arts. Accomplished producer, arranger, writer, and performer, Shawn Rivera first burst into the urban music scene in the mid 90’s with his R&B vocal quintet, AZ Yet. Produced by Babyface and David Foster, the successful group hit number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Charts in 1996 with their single, “Last Night” and continued to make waves with jazz and gospel flavored hits, “Hard for Me to Say I’m Sorry” and “That’s All I Want.” By the end of the year, the group had garnered a Grammy Nomination, placement in a major feature film (The Nutty Professor), and a platinum album. Shawn decided to depart from Az Yet in early 2000 to explore his own vision of Latin-flavored urban pop and hip-hop. Shawn picked the best in the biz to aid him in his desire to combine piquant Puerto-Rican soul and urban grooves into a delectable final product. Joining forces with the young ingénue are industry heavyweights, Questlove, Mos Def, G-1, Kenneth Crouch, and Arvel & Sauce. The list of artists who have skyrocketed to stardom thanks to the production talents of the aforementioned is formidable: Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, Erykah Badu, Common, Ice Cube, and Jill Scott, just to name a few. Shawn has performed in over 30 countries, appeared in music publications including Rolling Stone, Vibe, Billboard, etc., and on numerous national televisions programs such as Good Morning America, MTV, and Soul Train.