Shawty Redd (born Demetrius Stewart) is an Atlanta-based, Grammy nominated record producer,rapper, and songwriter. In November 2007, he gained fame when he produced "Sensual Seduction", the first single from multi-platinum rapper Snoop Dogg's Ego Trippin'. In addition to being a hit, it marked the official mainstream acceptance of this young producer’s return to a more complex Hip-Hop sound, one which borrows from other genres and utilizes a full spectrum of instrumentation. “In Atlanta, we were already known to do records like this, going back to the days of Kilo Ali and Raheem The Dream,” he explains “And everyone said that type of music wouldn’t come back in style. By Snoop doing it, he made it okay for everyone else to do it.” Prior to the West Coast co-sign, Shawty Redd, who always considered himself as much artist as producer, kept his more experimental tracks to himself.
When Redd landed his first placement at age seventeen, his success had already been a long time in the making. Like many influential artists, Redd was first introduced to music through religion as a child. By the age of 6 he was playing multiple instruments, including the piano and drums. Already his life’s passion, music became his salvation. It wasn’t long before trouble found him and, when granted a second chance, Redd made a promise to his Grandmother that he would not need a third.
His career in music began soon after, when he landed an internship with event promoters Twin Productions. In addition to learning the ins-and-outs of stage and sound set-up, the position allowed him to interact with some of the most successful southern artists of the time. In 2000, at the age of 17, Shawty Redd produced Atlanta artist Drama’s entire debut album, the RIAA-certified gold selling Causin' Drama, which spawned the hit single “Left, Right, Left.” He parlayed his success with Drama into opportunities for his protégés the 404 Soldiers and a placement on the soundtrack to 2001’s Save The Last Dance.
Soon thereafter, Redd forged a friendship with label owner turned reluctant rapper Young Jeezy. Driven by each other’s determination to attain success, the two opened a new chapter in Atlanta’s musical history. At a point when Redd felt he might be ready to abandon the business of music, Jeezy approached him with an offer to purchase some tracks. Those twelve track became Jeezy’s critically acclaimed mixtape, Streetz Iz Watchin’, which catapulted the rapper to mainstream attention and a deal with Def Jam Records.
Redd’s signature sound became synonymous with “trap” or “dope boy music.” With production credits for artists like Gucci Mane and Maceo, as well as some of the most popular tracks on Jeezy’s label debut Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, including “Trap or Die,” “Air Forces,” and “Get Ya Mind Right,” it wasn’t long before he found his multi-layered, drum-laden style imitated. His popularity in the South also led to placements with Pastor Troy, Eightball & MJG, and on Young Jeezy’s sophomore effort The Inspiration. By 2006, he found it necessary to expand his production repertoire to incorporate his musical upbringing, creating more melodious songs like Black Jak’s “Ride and Swerve.” and Big Kuntry King’s debut single “Da Baddest". At the end of 2006, Shawty Redd met recording/mix engineer Seth Firkins at Hot Beats Studio in Atlanta GA. Firkins' style with mixing blended seamlessly into Redd's "Bass-Heavy" productions. Quickly, Firkins became Shawty Redd's personal engineer, traveling from studio to studio while maintaining Redd's reputation as the pre-eminent "Trap Producer".
Shawty Redd continues to celebrate milestones in his career. In addition to landing the second single on Kuntry’s album, My Turn to Eat’s “We Here,” Shawty Redd is the man behind Jeezy’s “Who Dat”, the third single from 2008’s The Recession. He has also been working with Ludacris, Lil Jon, The Clipse, Hurricane Chris, Yo Gotti, Kia Shine, Nina Sky and Shawty Putt on their latest projects.
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