Shanelle's Starting Something

Behind the Scenes of my video shoot for "DAMN NEAR"

2013-06-19T12:42:08Z

Since the release of AIM HIGH, a LOT of people have been loving the song "Damn Near" (myself included). Shoutout to Chris Theory on the track...

That said, I recently shot my FIRST MUSIC VIDEO! After years of being in everyone else's video (from Q-Tip to Jadakiss to my boy Troy Ave), it's finally time. I was blessed to work with a good friend of mine and great film maker Gartharie D Broadie on making my lil ole treatment make sense and come to life. Special thanks to the good folk at Therapy Wine Bar in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn for being one of the locations we shot at. Much love to my cast: Olu (fitness and nutrition guru who transformed into an actor for me), Krystal Garner (accomplished model and my Soror), and Q aka Quanasia (the amazing stylist for the entire video who doubled as my pianist when other plans didn't work out). Thank you to my niece Janae for being a great assistant on the shoot, and to my friend and fellow poet Ashley Straughn who came through as well.

Look for the video to be released at the end of July!

My stylist, Quanasia, making sure I look right for the camera!My "Damn Near" boo getting ready for our game here on set at Therapy Wine Bar (Brooklyn, NY)

The director getting set up for the outdoor shot in Bed-Stuy of Olu and his other "Damn Near" boo, model and my soror Krystal GarnerOlu getting his act on for the final scene. He's getting a special performance from me.

FInal scene... I'm showing off my legs and performing!And it's a wrap! Q, me, and director Gartharie D Broadie! Can't wait for you all to see the finished product!

'Sesame Street' creates first Muppet to have a parent in jail

2013-06-16T13:19:00Z

Sad they have to do this, but it's needed... It's reality

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Recap: Atlanta's AIM HIGH Album Release Show

2013-06-03T16:00:57Z

If you live in Atlanta and didn't come out last week to celebrate the release of my album AIM HIGH at Acoustix Bar & Lounge's S.M.A.R.T. Thursdays, YOU MISSED OUT! It was an awesome night with so many great people in the building. Eshe from the 90s group Arrested Development killed the stage, singer/songwriter Rudy Currence hit the open mic, and Chris Cocktails, the host, kept us cracking up the whole night. Here are some photos… (Video footage coming soon)

On stage! "Crushing Hard" in full effect with the D Rhodes band!

Grammy winner, Eshe from the group Arrested Development, SMASHED the stage! An awesome singer, dancer, and performer, her energy is amazing!

Chris Theory, the amazing producer behind "Damn Near" and both versions of "Aim High", and my background singer for the night, the dope vocalist (and make-up artist), Miss Bri Did It. :)

My sister Lianne (all the way from NYC) was there with her friend Karla, who's known me since I was a baby!!

Look who showed up in support: Rudy Currence! Freakin amazing singer, pianist, and songwriter. So proud of him and blessed to have heard him get on the mic later that night.

Me, the hilarious host (and my Phrat brother) Chris Cocktails, and the lovely Eshe at the end of an amazing night!

Atlanta! Come to my album release concert TOMORROW, Thurs 5/23 @ 8:30pm

2013-05-22T11:34:32Z

ATLANTA! This Thursday It's Your Turn to Experience AIM HIGH live!

ATL's AIM HIGH Album Release Concert

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 23rd @ 8:30pm

Acoustix Bar & Lounge

(840 Marrietta St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318)

$10

Copies of the album will be available for purchase and signing!

Also featuring the awesome Grammy-Award winning vocalist, ESHE from Arrested Development

PHOTOS: My Album Release Party on Wed, May 15th in NYC

2013-05-19T14:35:32Z

If you missed it, you missed a lot! On Wednesday, May 15th at Negril Village Lounge, a gathering of people came out to celebrate the release of my new album AIM HIGH. I was not able to get photos with some of the awesome people there like my friend & amazing emcee Homeboy Sandman (aka Angel!!!), my mentor and A&R for the album Steven "PeeJay" Whitaker, my sister Suzanne, Alonzo Davis from www.JustBeenTested.com, and more great people who showed love. Thank you to everyone that supported the album, who spread the word, who asked me "Yoooo when does the new album come out" over and over, and to all those who weren't able to make it (or didn't even hear about the event), I thank you for caring and always showing love.

PLEASE cop the album if you already haven't and spread the word!

www.shanellegabriel.com/Store

People were able to get AIM HIGH CDs signed, hear me perform, and listen to a few tracks from the album!

DJ Commish and DJ Jon Quick, the two who made the night possible and who kept the tunes spinning and the people dancing all night long!

Playing a few tracks off the album...

Singing "Aim High"... See the passion????!!

My cousin Kieuna and my stylist, Quanasia!

Me and my daddy! (He brought me flowers!)

L.I.V.EWire (who performs with me later and KILLS it on the Aim High Remix) & the amazing vocalist and beautiful person, Cocoa Sarai.

My girls here: Aura, Tiffany, and Jessica holding me down!

Some of my favorite fellas: Dela, Sean, and Kameron

The brotha with the soulful voice, Bradd Marquis, who stopped through RIGHT before his show at S.O.B.'s. That's love!

Skee-Wee, my Soror! Model and actress Krystal Garner showed love. Skee- Roo to DJ Jon Quick!

Thanks for the love & support PR Pro and beautiful lady, Keisha McCotry

East New York neighbor, Radio Personality, and DJ OhSoKool all smiles!

I've "Just Been Tested"... I'm HIV Negative, Baby!

2013-05-18T20:00:00Z

Last Friday, May 17th, I attended an mixer event sponsored by The Wall Street Alphas to raise money for the AIDS Walk. Also sponsoring the event was www.JustBeenTested.com, a social networking website geared around the importance of KNOWING YOUR STATUS. The creator/founder, my friend (and fraternity brother) Alonzo Davis was there... with a mobile HIV testing center! I firmly believe and support what his site is doing and, while I knew my status (I was tested during a check-up a few weeks back), I like to lead by example, sooooooooo.....

I GOT TESTED!

People think it's a scary experience, but it's wayyyy simpler than they think. I walked into what seemed like a bakery van and was instantly in a doctor's office with two nurse practitioners. They were both super friendly and asked me to fill-out a few papers: one just asked some office-type questions (name, address, etc) and the other was a verification form for www.JustBeenTested.com. Oh, I forgot to mention, a cool part of the site is that when you do things like get tested (the results aren't given or asked for; it's just a form that you scan or fax to say that you did it), comment on posts, or stay active on the site, you win $100 gift cards, t-shirts, and more. So by getting tested and filling out that form, I got points towards that gift card that I know will come in handy next month around my birthday. :)

Anywho, the nurse practitioner sat me down, asked me if I've ever been tested before (uh, yea, Shanelle doesn't play that!), and then asked me the one question that kinda got into my head:

"So if for some reason this test comes back positive, do you feel that you have emotional support to help you deal with it?"

Whoa. That was kinda scary... but a good question. I hope more people think about that when they're engaged in risky behavior. I told him yes, and he made me sign the form stating my swab number. He handed me a small swab stick and told me to rub it across my cheek and over my gums. That was it. Test done. No blood, no needles. But now...

THE WAIT!!!!

The longest 20 minutes ever! It felt even longer than the line to go to the Statue of Liberty on the 4th of July. This is the part that Chris Rock talked about in Bigger and Blacker: "Here's where you start to think about every questionable piece of a** you've ever had..." lol. Even if you know you've been good, haven't done anything, and have been negative before, you still start thinking "What if the negative I got was a mistake? What if those 5 HIV tests I took were all flawed??? AHHHH!" My advice at this time, go somewhere, have a drink, listen to some 2 Chains or something else mind-numbing and calm it down. Until you get bad news (and I pray you don't) there's no reason to get worked up.

I came back 20 minutes later, and my nurse practitioner confirmed: I'M HIV NEGATIVE, BABY!

He proceeded to give me a round-trip Metrocard (YES!) and a JustBeenTested gift bag, complete with JBT lip balm, hand sanitizer, and mints... all so I can attract someone who I can get down with and end up back here getting tested. JUST JOKING! All nice gifts to keep on me to make sure I tell others about the value in getting tested and the coolness of knowing your status.

I hope this story made you a lil less weary of the idea of getting tested. It's not a game: more than 1.2 million people in the United States are presently living with AIDS, and 1 in 5 people are unaware of their positive status. Crazy, huh? Don't end up in this statistic. Wrapping it up isn't enough. Condoms break and there are STIs/STDs you can get even using condoms. If you're grown enough to be getting busy, you're grown enough to have the conversation about testing before you do it. Shoot, there's nothing sexier than a clean bill of health! For realz.

ANDDDD make sure you join this awesome site that "wants to reward you for knowing your STI status and for adding to the dialogue about sex, relationships and overall sexual health."

VISIT WWW.JUSTBEENTESTED.COM

"Aim High" - the New Album Available Everywhere NOW!

2013-05-15T10:21:19Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shanelle Gabriel's new album "Aim High" available NOW!

Shanelle Gabriel shows that "Lupus can't hold her" with the release of Aim High today, May 15th, 2013, right in the middle of Lupus Awareness Month. A true fusion of all of her talents, Aim High displays Shanelle's prowess as an award-winning poet and vocalist. A fusion of spoken word, soulful singing, and hip-hop that speaks on love, being diagnosed with Lupus, inequality, and seizing the day, Aim High strives to comfort and empower those battling life's daily challenges all while keeping heads bobbing. This album is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, and on her official website www.shanellegabriel.com.

NYC can get autographed copies of Aim High at Shanelle's album release party TONIGHT, May 15th at 6:30pm at Negril Village Lounge (70 West 3rd Street, NYC). At this release party, she will be performing two songs, and DJ Jon Quick (of WBLS 107.5 FM) and DJ Commish (of Music Choice) will be spinning several songs off the album as well the best in Hip Hop/ R&B/ Reggae/Soca. No cover and 21+ only with ID.

Aim High features appearances by Kel Spencer (emcee and songwriter for Will Smith, Lil Kim, and more), rapper Livewire (who's latest single features Jim Jones), ATL's Willie Hyn, Christian femme-cee HeesunLee, and beatboxer GreyMatter. It also features a comedic cameo from SpokenReasons, the YouTube star and lead actor in Sandra Bullock's new movie "The Heat."

All poems and songs were written by Shanelle Gabriel with production from Chris "Theory" Bradley from Atlanta, the JahRock'n Productions team in NYC, Marshall "Soulful" Jones in LA, and the Bronx's own DJ Static. This album has many notable tracks including the percussion-driven, powerfully-sung "Damn Near" and the humorous, nostalgic crowd-favorite "Crushing Hard." She tells the inspiriting story of her diagnosis with Lupus in "Vanity," a poem that she's shared at numerous events and walks for Lupus. This album and the videos for it are set to receive coverage and press from several prominent websites, including Vibe.com, as well as airplay on numerous independent & college radio stations.

Shanelle Gabriel has toured nationally and internationally, hitting cities from LA to Vancouver to Johannesburg, South Africa. She has shared stages with artists such as Eric Benet, Talib Kweli, Nas, Erick Sermon, and more. She appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam alongside Jill Scott and DMX, was spotlighted on the Rachael Ray Show, Fox News, and KAYA 95.9 FM- Johannesburg, and was recognized for her work by Listerine and Wal-Mart in the "Your Mouth Matters" campaign. This follow-up to her first album Start Something (winner of the 2008 Atlantic City Alternative Soul Best CD Award) aims to propel Shanelle Gabriel to even greater heights in her career.

ATLANTA, SAVE THE DATE!-> Shanelle's album release concert will be next THURSDAY, May 23rd at EPeriod's "S.M.A.R.T. Thursdays" at Acoustix Jazz Restaurant & Lounge (840 Marrietta St, Atlanta, GA) at 8:30pm.

Follow Shanelle Gabriel (@ShanelleG) on Twitter and use the hashtag #AimHigh on all your social networks!

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WEBSITE: www.shanellegabriel.com

SOUNDCLOUD: soundcloud.com/shanellegabriel

TWITTER: twitter.com/ShanelleG

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/ShanelleGabriel

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/FriendsofShanelleGabriel

Some Pics from My Performance at East Orange Library

2013-05-04T10:50:26Z

Hey all! I had a dope show in East Orange, NJ's public library on Thursday, May 2nd. So thankful to Elijah Brown for hosting such a great community event.

May is Lupus Awareness Month...

2013-05-02T01:54:52Z

May is here, and it's Lupus Awareness Month!

Between the "LupUS is US: Inspiring Words of Survival" Show in NYC on May 9th and World Lupus Day Flash Mob on May 10th, if you follow me this month, you'll be hearing me speak a lot more about Lupus (the illness I was diagnosed with in 2004 that affects more than 1.5 million Americans each year.)

Hear more about living with Lupus in my HooplaHa interview here:

TEDTalks: "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" (Great video)

2013-04-22T13:12:41Z