Shawn Bernard (aka FEENIX)
Shawn Bernard (FEENIX) is a true achiever. He grew up in the worst neighborhoods of Edmonton, Alberta and lost both his parents to drugs at a young age. He, himself, got into a life of drugs, gangs, crime and frequent incarcerations. As a youth he would rap at house parties and later founded a rap group that evolved into a high profile nationwide gang. In 2004, while locked up again for a stabbing and facing many years in jail, the drug death of his sister and the apprehension of his kids caused him to reach a breaking point. He vowed to turn his life around.
Since the day his beloved sister died, Shawn realized he had to change his lifestyle and has returned to the rap career he dreamed of for almost 20 years. He is now concentrating on his professional music career.
In 2007 he released his first CD, "Tha Real OG" which earned him a Canadian Aboriginal Music Award nomination.
His second CD, "On Tha Rise" was also nominated for the 2008 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.
In 2009 Shawn was nominated yet again at The Canadian Aboriginal Music awards and won "Best Rap or Hip Hop Video".
In 2010 Shawn was nominated for "Best Rap/Hip Hop CD" and "Best Rap/Hip Hop Video" and won both awards for those categories!
Shawn has also performed at The Aboriginal Pavillion at The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver B.C.
Shawn is nominated this year for "Best Rap CD" at the 2011 Aboriginal People's Choice Awards and also for "Aboriginal Recording of the Year" at the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards!
Several of his songs have had nationwide radio exposure and his Shawn is often featured on T.V, in print media and on radio interviews.
Shawn’s message is real and his songs are upbeat, positive and profanity free. He won the audience vote for favorite stage performer at the 2007 Dreamspeakers Festival and was on the cover of the Rez X Comeback issue, Spring, 2008. He also starred on an NFB short documentary on his life called "Walking Alone" which told his story of his recovery, music and family.
Shawn has completed the Aboriginal Family Support Worker program at Norquest College and works with youth and adults living in high risk lifestyles. When not working or spending time with his family, Shawn promotes independent artists and visits schools and communities spreading the message that high risk lifestyles, drugs, alcohol and especially gangs are a literal dead end.
He is now in the process of recording a new album and also shooting and releasing more music videos!
interests
recording music,promoting artists, and social services