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FORMER soldier Richmond Shaw hopes to bring Bahrain's multitude of cultures together with his music.
Known by his stage name 'Hotline' he believes the sounds of rap will make a long-lasting impression and unite young people.
Hotline, 26, who now lives in Juffair, said: "I had the gift of writing artistic poems and so came to Bahrain in a leap of faith to help fill the cultural gap between the Middle East and the Western world."
Hailing from the US state of Michigan, Hotline is not new to the region. He served in the 1st Infantry Division and was stationed in Iraq as a teenager.
He said: "It helped me mature. While in Iraq, I met families who had not eaten for a week because of the conflict and that is the sort of thing that makes you appreciate life.
"There were times when I was scared and wished that I was back home playing basketball with my friends or watching a movie.
"But it made me more determined than ever to survive and get back to see my mother. It also motivated me to one day return to the Middle East and help bring people together."
Hotline's musical exploits began as a schoolboy and he was heavily influenced by his mother Carmell who was a backup singer for several groups during the 1970s.
After high school, he joined the US Armed Forces and served in Iraq.
During this time he also appeared in an Oscar-nominated documentary Gunner Palace which accounted the complex realities of the situation in Iraq during 2003 and 2004 as a result of the insurgency.
After the war, he returned home for six months and decided to return to the region in 2006 and chose Bahrain for its openness to creativity.
His music career also started to take off and he can now boast of having performed with established acts including Grammy award-winner T.I , Oscar award-winners 3-6 Mafia, Cassidy, Bonecrusher in the US as well as Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child during her visit to Bahrain.
He has now released four albums and performed around the world taking in Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, Germany, Thailand and the UAE.
Apart from holding down a position in real estate he is also in demand as an MC, choreographer, music producer and dancer.
And the kingdom remains his chosen home.
He said: "Bahrain helps promote young musicians and you can see all corners of the Middle East from here."
His aim is to continue developing as a rap recording artist and attract music productions houses and grow an international fan base.
MyRain - (Bahrain)
I call it Bahrain, the land of two seas
Led by three great men chasing one big dream.
Equality for their people, and as far as it may seem
The '2030' Bahrain will be the awakening of a dream.
Sometimes I set sail on the sea for a breath
Other times I march step like the BDF.
Sitting with the Old Divers talking about the days
When the pearl was the only thing that they had to trade.
Now year after year the world races with us
At the BIC and every year we leave them in dust.
Yeah, Bahrain's a bit small but they must've forgot
Big things come in small packages and this one's ready to pop.
The rest of the Gulf staring in disbelief
Like 'Is it us, or not' like when Mike used to walk thru Seef.
And for the record, I was treated as an equal from the start
But what do you expect from a country lead by the 'King of Hearts'?
- By Richmond 'Hotline' Shaw
