Raw & UnKut Magazine Volume 1 | Page 5

In t er v iew w it h Sh a yl a 'Ba n g ' Ja mer s o n 1. So w he n d id y o u f a ll in lo v e w it h m a k e u p ? Growing up I played sports and was a serious Tomboy. I loved to play basketball, run track , hop fences and race the boys in the middle of the street the last thing I was thinking about was lip gloss and eye shadow. When I went off to college in North Carolina ...that was my very first experience with falling in love with makeup. I was 18 years old and was really coming into myself. I wanted to hang with friends and go out to the clubs and I was like " I need to look cute " LOL" So I bought my very first eye shadow and lipstick from Walgreens. I remember it to this day, a purple Wet n Wild eye shadow and a tube of pink Wet n Wild lipstick...lol. I laugh about it because I looked a hot mess but for some reason I felt confident and cute...Lol 2 . W ha t o r w ho h a v e h e lp e d y o u d e v e lo p y o u r t a le n t ? Well my early years of developing I learned a lot of my artistry on my own. I didn't grow up in the early years of a YOUTUBE tutorial. Now it is really easy for someone to click on a HOW TO " video learn a few things after playing replay and call themselves a " Professional Makeup Artist" . I had to read books such as Iman, Kevin Aucoin, Bobby Brown and really study and look at diagrams and try to duplicate what I saw. A lot of trial and error , a lot of smeared liner and un-blended shadows lol. I love my friends till this day for allowing me use them as guinea pigs. Being a makeup artist was very much considered taboo and not a " real career " like it is now. 3. Ho w do e s t he ba y a r e a in f lu e n c e y o u r t a le n t o r p a s s io n ? I love the Bay. love being from Oakland. There is so much culture and artistry here that sometimes goes unrecognized. I developed myself and became the strong artistic SHAYLABANG, because of where I am from. I always felt I could be whoever I wanted to be in the Bay. When people out here are behind you and support you will for sure feel the love. I mean how dope is it to be from a city where other thriving artist are from such as Raphael Saadiq, Frankie Beverley & Maz, Taj , HBK, Adrian Marcel, R.O.D , Netta Brielle, Ledisi, Goapele , Keyshia Cole, Zenyada , Hammer and Too Short. Its a melting pot of creative people feeding off each other waiting for the right moment and right chance. MY ART AND BANG was born here 4 . Do yo u f in d y o u r s e lf d o in g m a ke - u p fo r e v e r ? I do not like to put myself in a box or category. I just go wherever God tells me to go. He gave me this talent so I am using it until I cant anymore. When I am doing makeup , styling , taking pictures , or even making jewelry, I am at my most happy. The key to life no matter what trials or tribulations is happiness. I want to wake up everyday doing what I dream about every night and as along as I am allowed and and comfortable ...then I will forever do it. 5. W ha t ' s ra w t a le n t t o yo u ? No limitations, No boundaries, free expression. Using what God gave you and watching the affect it has on people. Unfiltered , 5