MIMS

Shawn Mims entered the world into a Jamaican-American household located in Manhattan’s Washington Heights section, where the sounds of Harlem rappers situated directly southward left an early mark on him. By age 13 he had already lost both parents, yet he channeled his energies into music—his mother having presented him with his first DJ setup just before her passing—and academics in order to steer clear of difficulties. Although he enrolled briefly at a local community college, he ultimately withdrew, convinced that full commitment to a rap career required the decision; the gamble soon proved advantageous when he appeared on Canadian outfit Baby Blue Soundcrew’s track “Love Em All,” which earned a nomination for Best Video at the 2001 Much Music Awards. With production assistance from Miami’s Blackout Movement, he issued “I Did You Wrong” in 2003, and three years later, now recording under the name MIMS, he put out the independent single “This Is Why I’m Hot.” Strong local airplay, notably on New York’s Hot 97, drew interest from major imprints such as EMI/Capitol, which in 2007 issued his debut album, Music Is My Savior.