Dynamic American YouTuber Shawn Cee, has successfully carved out a distinctive niche within the music review and reaction space. Boasting a subscriber count nearing 900,000, his channel serves as a central hub for music enthusiasts in search of insightful commentary and genuine reactions. Through captivating videos, Shawn Cee articulates his perspectives on various albums, tracks, and artists. His reviews have not only struck a chord with viewers, establishing him as a trusted voice in the music community for some, but have also sparked discord among others.
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Early Life and Family
Shawn Cee was born on 25 October 1995, in Detroit, Michigan USA, to a Persian mother and an Afro-American father. According to his ancestry report, he exhibits nearly 67.5% West African and 18.8% European heritage. He’s the youngest of five siblings, with a brother and three sisters who all share the same father and mother; it was later revealed that he has another sister but it is not known from which side of the family she comes.
He grew up in a house where his father had a room on the second floor without a door, while he and his siblings were on the ground floor. On weekends, he would be at his stepmother’s house. Interestingly, Shawn’s stepmother would often tell him that he should have been her child as well, because they look alike. He mentioned that there were no problems between the two mothers, even stating that they got along just fine.
Education
Shawn reportedly matriculated from high school; there’s no information on whether he pursued further education or not.
Career – Content Creator
Shawn Cee embarked on a transformative digital journey when he launched the ShawnCeeLive channel on YouTube in October 2015. Initially, the channel featured content centered around him playing a diverse array of video games, such as “Call of Duty” and “Dragon Ball.” However, he later shifted his focus to providing commentary on various topics. With over 90,000 subscribers and nearly 15 million views of its videos, the channel has garnered a decent following.
In 2017, Shawn expanded his content creation endeavors by creating another channel named “THE CEEMAN.” Although the oldest video on this channel was posted in February 2023, it has already accumulated 17,000 subscribers. The videos on this channel, which include reactions and commentary on topics that personally interest him, have collectively garnered nearly five million views.
In addition to his YouTube channels, Shawn is an active Twitch streamer, so engaging with his audience across multiple platforms; his Twitch content is also shared on his YouTube channels.
https://t.co/16hRDgzPUb pic.twitter.com/h9CpLQFEy1
— SHREK KNOWS RAP (@SHREKRAP) January 11, 2020
Shawn Cee Channel: Music Reaction/Review Videos
Shawn’s journey into the world of music began within the walls of his family home. The backdrop of his childhood consisted mainly of classical instrumentals and music centered around the theme of traveling. During a period of ‘mental agony,’ he found solace in the genre of metal, and it wasn’t until the age of 16 or 17 that he developed an appreciation for hip-hop.
Motivated by a desire to create a platform for himself to explore music beyond his usual preferences, he launched the Shawn Cee channel in March 2016, making it a journey of musical discovery. This channel is dedicated to reaction videos, showcasing responses to songs and albums by various artists. While he predominantly features well-known musicians, Shawn also delves into the works of lesser-known talents.
His review selection process is diverse, ranging from albums that genuinely pique his interest to those suggested by his audience, and those making waves in the music scene. In his reaction/review videos, Shawn immerses himself in a specific piece of music, often experiencing it for the first time, then provides real-time commentary, sharing his immediate thoughts, impressions, and emotional reactions.
What sets Shawn apart is his in-depth approach to reviews. It’s not merely about giving it a grade; rather, he conducts profound explorations into the psyche of the artists he discusses. This unique perspective resonated with viewers, propelling his channel to rapid success. With close to 900,000 subscribers and over 200 million views for his videos, Shawn Cee has established himself as a prominent figure in the YouTube music review community.
First reaction video: “Skepta – Konnichiwa reaction/review”
The inaugural video marked the beginning of Shawn’s venture into the realm of music reactions and reviews. The subject was British rapper Skepta’s fourth studio album, “Konnichiwa,” representing a bold choice that established the tone for Shawn’s future content. During the video, he attentively listened to all 12 tracks of the album, offering his insights and preferences as each one played. By the video’s conclusion, he shared his thoughts on the album. Uploaded in May 2018, this video garnered over 60,000 views, signaling a promising start to Shawn’s foray into the music review landscape.
Most popular video: “Eminem – KILLSHOT reaction/review ”
Just a day after the release of Eminem’s “Killshot” in September 2018, Shawn promptly uploaded his reaction video to it. The diss track was directed at Machine Gun Kelly in response to MGK’s own diss track, “Rap Devil,” targeting the legendary rapper. Shawn provided an in-depth analysis of the lyrics, the two rappers involved, and even delved into the beats and rhythm of the track. The video gained substantial attention, amassing 2.7 million views.
This wasn’t Shawn’s initial feature of Eminem’s work on his channel. A little over a week before the “Killshot” reaction/review, he’d tackled Eminem’s 10th studio album, “Kamikaze.” In this video, he listened and reacted to all 13 tracks, offering insights into what he perceived as the best and worst tracks in the album. The “Kamikaze” review garnered nearly 1.5 million views, showcasing the strong interest in Shawn’s analyses of Eminem’s work on his channel.
On becoming famous
When Shawn Cee began his YouTube journey, he never anticipated the level of success it would eventually achieve. With a general aversion to being in the spotlight and a preference for privacy, he initially envisioned his channel with a modest subscriber base—perhaps ranging from 10,000 to 20,000—aiming to create a small community to share his passion for music.
Despite his initial reservations, Shawn has seen his channel flourish over the years, expressing gratitude to those who continue to support him. While he wanted to treat it as something not overly significant, the channel’s growth has made it increasingly challenging to maintain that perspective.
Personal Life
Currently, Shawn Cee is single and has chosen to keep his dating life private. He’s refrained from sharing details about his romantic relationships, and tends to steer clear of inquiries about a potential girlfriend. Notably, he hasn’t posted any pictures or videos featuring a significant ‘other’ on his social media accounts.
Controversies involving his YouTube content
Lying about the core of his reaction/review concept
Accusations have surfaced against Shawn, implying that he might be dishonest about abstaining from listening to the music, or conducting research before recording his reaction videos. The suspicion is that such claims are made to portray him as more knowledgeable about the music than he genuinely is.
Lying about Madvillainy samples
Certain Reddit users have accused Shawn of potentially fabricating his recognition of obscure samples on Madvillainy, a classic hip-hop album by Madlib and MF DOOM. The allegation suggests that he may be relying on websites such as WhoSampled or Genius to feign his musical knowledge and impress his audience. It was hard for many to believe that he possessed an incredibly diverse taste in music, making it unlikely for him to be familiar with those samples. In response, Shawn vehemently denied these claims in another video, staunchly defending his musical taste and memory. He explained that while he wasn’t into hip-hop growing up, he enjoyed a wide variety of other music genres.
Disliking Drake
Shawn has been openly expressing his dislike for Drake and his music, frequently critiquing aspects such as lyrics, production, and personality. In his reaction to “For All The Dogs,” he displayed frustration when random names were mentioned in the lyrics, stating that nobody cares about those individuals. He suggested that the Canadian rapper seemed too immersed in his own legendary status to recognize that what he raps about may be irrelevant to the majority of his audience. Drake reposted a clip from a reaction video of his song by the popular YouTuber on his Instagram Story, leaving it unclear whether he found it amusing or if he was upset about it.
Negative reviews of popular albums
Shawn has consistently provided unfavorable reviews for certain popular albums showcased on his channel, establishing a reputation for being highly critical and occasionally expressing disdain for artists in general. This has led to inquiries about his credibility and authenticity. Given the nature of his content, centered around reacting and reviewing music, Shawn is inevitably exposed to criticism and backlash, particularly from passionate fans of the artists featured on his channel, especially when his reviews lean towards the negative.
To address the feedback and defend his opinions, Shawn frequently utilizes platforms such as Twitch or YouTube to articulate his perspective. During these instances, he actively engages with his audience, prompting discussions on why some fans react strongly to his views and opinions.
A controversial story from his past
Shawn recounted an incident from his past when he entered into a relationship with his stepmother’s daughter; they were both quite young at that time. Despite the absence of a blood relation between them, the revelation led to his stepbrother physically confronting him; he and the girl were caught in a compromising position. His stepmother remained unaware of the situation, and he believed it was deliberately kept from her to prevent any disruption within the family. The mere thought of how awkward and tense the situation could become if all the parents were to discuss it was something he could only imagine.
Appearance
Shawn Cee’s height, listed at 5ft 11ins (156cms), has sparked debates as some perceived him as being on the shorter side. Despite his assertions that he stands over six feet tall, many didn’t believe that. Shawn decided to settle the speculation during a live stream by measuring his height. Initially stating he was 6ft 1in, he later clarified that this measurement included the height added by his shoes. He has a lean build and weighs 130lbs (58kgs) – Shawn is recognizable by his curly black hair and dark brown eyes.
Net Worth
Shawn Cee has achieved notable success as a YouTube content creator, primarily focusing on music reactions and reviews. Despite amassing a significant following and garnering massive views on his videos, he points out that many of his highly viewed videos face challenges such as demonetization or copyright restrictions. Nonetheless, as of February 2024, authoritative sources estimate his net worth at over $500,000.