About

Shao Dow is an award-winning rapper, manga author and occasional ninja.

Known to rap in both English and Japanese, Shao is hard to define as just a regular artist. He constantly blurs the lines between anime, gaming, martial arts and his own music and has worked with icons such as Sean Schemmel (the voice of Goku - Dragon Ball Z) and featured on the first single from Tech N9ne’s ‘Asin9ne’ album. It’s little wonder Shao scooped the AIM Award for Hardest Working Artist – alongside his regular music releases, he has published a manga book series through his own company, DiY Gang Entertainment.

Shao Dow began his music career after training Shaolin Kung Fu.

After studying Shaolin Kung Fu with the monks whilst living in China, Shao Dow utilised the tenacity and determination he learnt from his martial arts training to independently forge his music career.

Shao Dow’s live performances are unforgettable.

When it comes to performing live, Shao delivers an unforgettable stage show. Mixing skilful lyricism, infectious beats and Kung Fu, he creates an unparalleled live experience.
His performance history includes:

Opening for Tech N9ne, R.A The Rugged Man, KRS-One, Stormzy, 6LACK, and Skepta.
Performing at Reading and Leeds music festivals.
Touring across the UK, Europe, The USA and Asia.

He was nominated for ‘Best Live Performer’ at The AIM Independent Music Awards 2022.

Shao Dow’s music features in TV series and games.

Alongside his regular releases, Shao Dow works on soundtracks for games, TV and animated series:

He contributed to the soundtrack for the ∫ animated series with Mashed and Channel 4; the 3rd episode achieved more than 1 million views on YouTube in 10 days.
He created the music for a ‘God of War’ inspired animation, which garnered over 7 million views and became the soundtrack for an official anniversary video for the game’s sequel by Sony Santa Monica and PlayStation.
His music featured in Amazon Prime Video’s ‘All or Nothing: Arsenal’ documentary about Arsenal FC.
Shao Dow wrote a bespoke track, ‘Thunder Roll’, for Fortnite’s ‘Mega City’ season update, used in the official trailer, a key in-game lobby theme, and an emote.

Shao Dow is a public speaker and features on TV and radio.

The London-born artist appeared on ITV's Ninja Warrior UK and was invited into Parliament to speak on behalf of grassroots music venues across the UK. Shao Dow also inspires, entertains and educates in schools, colleges and universities across the country. A truly unique Fire in the Booth session with Charlie Sloth stands out among his many radio appearances, including Radio 1, 1xtra, Capital Xtra and BBC 6 Music.

Shao Dow successfully crowdfunded £12k for his first tour in Japan.

In 2024, Shao embarked on the Genki Dama Tour, his first tour in Japan. His global fanbase helped raise over £12,000 in a 30-day crowdfunding campaign, making the tour a reality.