Biography

In a world full of clones, those select few who choose to pave their own paths disrupt the ebb and flow of a listless society and join the ranks of the misunderstood.  One such soul is Amisho Baraka whose compelling back-story sets the stage for a revolutionary in the making.

 Born in Canada, Sho doesn’t recall much about his life beyond the States; however, the wealth that accompanied his father’s professional football contract and brought his family to New Orleans is quite vivid. But while he grew up in an affluent neighborhood and lived a kid’s fantasy, he also wrestled with being a minority. Fortunately, he didn’t become aloof from his culture—thanks to his friends who lived in poor areas and his pseudo Panther parents’ who educated him and his siblings about their history. Unfortunately, after moving to California, he also learned firsthand what alcohol, drugs and divorce could do to a family. The fairytale lifestyle came to an end as his parents split and he became accustomed to government assistance. His childhood had undoubtedly taught him to value money, family and all social classes.

 But he couldn’t escape what his parents taught him by way of their actions—not to mention the music and cultural scene in L.A. that promoted drugs.  Despite being educated and feeling personally responsible to enlighten his peers, high school brought added pressure to indulge in the substances that everyone was using, and he succumbed. Just as drugs had contributed to his family’s downfall, Sho’s dreams of playing football in college were ruined after being benched for missing practice because of substance abuse.

 Thankfully, growing up, Sho had not only loved sports, but he also had an affinity for music and creative arts that took him from channeling Langston Hughes to delivering Common-esque raps as a member of a group that would eventually stand before some big names in the industry. After high school, he attended Tuskegee University before transferring to the University of North Texas for their film and television program and more affordable tuition. While there, he got his start as a student director occasionally appearing in music videos. But Sho had not only switched majors, his worldview was changing.  His father had resurfaced as a changed man and his older brother who introduced him to Hip Hop music and culture was changing—the common thread: newfound faith.  As he sat at an urban faith conference his brother persuaded him to attend, he was rocked by the Gospel and decided to turn his life around. 

 What followed was a successful stint in Christian Hip Hop, highlighted by his groundbreaking sophomore album Lions and Liars—an exposé on faith, manhood and popular culture. But feeling limited in his ability to address the taboo, experiment with the untraditional and incorporate the secular, Sho has left that market and joined forces with three other like-minded individuals to form High Society—a collective of artists aspiring to change culture from within.  Beyond music, he also continues to push the limits of creativity by directing videos through his company Lions and Liars Productions.  Sho has also appeared in the feature films Grace Card and October Baby and wrote and directed his first short film Man Up. 

Amisho Baraka surrounds himself with creatives, including his wife who depicts life through her vibrant paintings, as he finds inspiration from their artistic expression. A genius in his own right, he hopes to spark societal change and contribute to the creative arts in multiple capacities for years to come. For him, truth has no worthy opponent, creativity has no boundaries and art has no limitations.