Shavone Charles


Shavone Charles, known mononymously as SHAVONE. is an first-generation American performance rapper-songwriter, entrepreneur, activist and marketing and communications executive in the technology industry. SHAVONE. is currently the Director of Consumer Communications at VSCO, photo-editing app and social platform.
SHAVONE. is a multi-hyphenate creative and classically-trained musician born and raised in San Diego, California. SHAVONE. began poetry, songwriting and instrumentation on piano and flute during her early childhood. SHAVONE. performed and played the flute in various competitive music competitions and symphonic concerts. In early 2019, SHAVONE. released two musical projects: "SITH" and "4C" which premiered by Dazed & Confused Magazine and Billboard respectively.
SHAVONE was the first African-American woman to ever be hired onto both Twitter and Instagram’s communications teams. While at Twitter, She helped co-found Twitter's first employee resource group for African American employees, Blackbirds. As Head of Global Music and Youth Culture Communications at Instagram, SHAVONE. helped create Instagram's first-ever Black History Month program in 2018, which reached more than 19 million on Instagram and featured a series of first-time initiatives, including a #BlackGirlMagic partnership with Spotify and the launch of the #CelebrateBlackCreatives program. In early 2019, SHAVONE. founded Magic in Her Melanin.

Early life

SHAVONE. was born Shavone Charles in southeast San Diego, California. Her background as a musician and poet began with multi instrumentalists in her family, namely her brother Jewel Wilson and Trinidadian uncle Terrance who both played the flute and saxophone. In addition to SHAVONE.’s formal training in music, her hip-hop, Caribbean and funk-infused Trinidadian household critically shaped her style in music. SHAVONE. enrolled in band and music theory at La Mesa Dale Elementary School and went on as a competitive flautist through middle school and high school. In 2012, SHAVONE. graduated from University of California, Merced, with her Bachelor's degree in literature.

Career

In college, SHAVONE. interned at Google acting as a student liaison with UC Merced which inspired for her career into technology. SHAVONE. started her post-college career at Twitter in San Francisco headquarters. Over a three-year span, SHAVONE. began as the communications intern to creating her own role and title, spearheading all of Twitter's global music and culture communications as the Head of Global Music & Culture Communications. SHAVONE. was both the youngest person and the first-ever African American woman to be hired onto the communications team at Twitter.
While at Twitter, SHAVONE. created and led strategic global public relations programs overseeing partner collaboration management, data strategy, and community development across music, fashion, and media. At Twitter, SHAVONE. established her niche career focus on culture-focused communications and social marketing, business partnerships and data analysis with a close lens on music, online communities, and youth culture. SHAVONE. remotely oversaw all of the company's communications efforts for Brazil and Canada out of San Francisco office and employed a number of successful global culture-driven communications programs tied to major entertainment and consumer moments in the market. She helped grow @TwitterMusic account by over 5 million followers by using social campaigns with highlighting musical talent Twitter and Vine in music.
In June 2014, SHAVONE. helped found Blackbirds, Twitter's employee resource group for African-American employee in an effort to create safe, inclusive spaces for people of color in tech and increase access for underrepresented youth. SHAVONE. served as president of Blackbirds for two years. In Fall 2015, SHAVONE. joined Instagram Global Music, Youth Culture & Consumer Communications. SHAVONE. was Instagram's first ever L.A. hire and youngest African-American woman on Instagram's communication team. SHAVONE. helped create Instagram's first-ever Black History Month program in 2018 including #BlackGirlMagic partnership with Spotify and the launch of the #CelebrateBlackCreatives program. In 2018, SHAVONE. was honored as a leading innovator by the Ebony Power 100 alongside Virgil Abloh. In March 2019, SHAVONE. was honored as Forbes 30 Under 30 Influential People in Marketing and Advertising for breaking barriers and creating inclusive spaces for creatives of color in the tech industry. Shortly after being honored in the Forbes 30 under 30,SHAVONE. decided to part ways from her position at Instagram. SHAVONE launched her own creative collective and in-house agency, "Magic in Her Melanin"
In December 2019, SHAVONE. was named as the new Director of Consumer Communications at VSCO.

Artistry and Influences

SHAVONE. was surrounded by streetwear growing up in San Diego and was always into it because to her, "it wasn’t a trend, it was a way of life". When asked about her influences on her style, SHAVONE. said, “I’ve always viewed my clothes and outward appearance as a form of self-expression — really as an extension of my voice." Streetwear, in particular, has always been a key part of my cultural fabric and upbringing with my dad being very heavy into vintage sportswear, everyday fashion and sneakers,” she says. Adding that “growing up with two older brothers I was very into all of the unconventional things that girls weren’t supposed to be interested in including gaming, music, Dragon Ball Z, sneakers and basketball.”
Shortly after being chosen as one of Forbes 30 Under 30, SHAVONE. released her freestyle "SITH", rapping over Kanye and Pusha T's "Number On The Board" single. Playing on her love for Star Wars, SHAVONE. paired her video visuals with the depth and breadth of Blackness and royalty, highlighted in the lyrics, wardrobe, and set design.
On March 26, 2019, SHAVONE. released the single and video for "4C" a month after her first track of 2019 "SITH". The video was shot at celebrity hairstylist, Susy Oludule's Brooklyn-based salon and it featured black creatives like African-American Muslim author and activist, Blair Imani.

Discography

Singles