Still Shadey is an award-winning rapper-songwriter and a prominent talent in Croydon. He has received the BBC 1Xtra Future Figure Award and a MOBO Award for Best Gospel Act in addition to amassing over 2 million streams, and 40,000 monthly listeners in 2024 alone. Beyond his industry success, Shadey is a passionate creative with a profound appreciation for poetic literature inspired by lived experience. His eight-year track record showcases his ability to transform stories of childhood and community traumas into powerful pieces of hope, healing, and inspiration.
Still Shadey has a deep connection to his community. Raised as one of six children by Nigerian migrants, his family navigated the complexities of racial, social, and economic divides common in the area. The lush greenery of New Addington in Croydon and its proximity to the Surrey Hills have always been a subconscious call for Shadey and many in his community, yet accessibility challenges have often kept these natural treasures out of reach.
Nature Calling has been deeply personal for Luke, aiming to bridge this gap and bring the beauty of Surrey Hills to those who have not had the chance to experience it.
“Working on the Nature Calling project has been transformational. It’s been a recent desire of mine to tell stories beyond my own. Being able to experience the Surrey Hills from a writer’s perspective has been therapeutic and energising for me. I look forward to the rollout of this amazing project, and am deeply proud with the piece that I was able to create”.
Still Shadey’s conversations with New Addington residents around their experiences of nature, along with his inspirational visits to the Surrey Hills enabled him to craft this meaningful piece of lo-fi beats and atmospheric vocals for ‘Nature’s Anthem – A Journey through the Surrey Hills’. He has been captured performing this at Box Hill, a place that was very special in influencing Still Shadey’s writing. As we celebrate this new poetic rap, the connections that have been made between Still Shadey and the Surrey Hills remains, and future plans are being made to include his performance in a national season of art in 2025.
'I'm excited to share 'Nature's Anthem: A Journey Through Surrey Hills'. Growing up in the diverse community of New Addington, I experienced firsthand the power of nature as a source of healing and inspiration. Raised by Nigerian migrant parents, my connection to nature was limited due to various barriers, but those rare moments spent in green spaces left a profound impact on me. Through this project, I aim to share that transformative experience with others, particularly those from underrepresented communities.'
