Shawn Bediako

Most people would not expect a tenured professor to also be a musician, composer, writer, and emcee. But Shawn Bediako is an anomaly; he’s as comfortable in lecture halls, research labs, and boardrooms as he is in writing retreats, on performance stages, and in cipher sets. 

A Baltimore-based creative, Bediako integrates the soul and science of sound into an eclectic style that reflects the jazz and funk foundations of hip hop's artistic heritage. His debut music EP, Sojourners, is a thoughtful collection of meditations and social commentary that features collaborations with artists from around the world. The genre-bending follow-up project, Iconoclast, is planned for release in early 2026.

Growing up in Arkansas, Shawn started playing trumpet at age 10 and eventually added the cornet, flugelhorn, and baritone horn to his repertoire. While on an educational journey that led to the completion of a bachelor’s degree, three masters degrees, and a doctorate in social/health psychology, Shawn concurrently embarked on a wide-ranging creative arts journey. He studied classical and jazz trumpet with private tutors in Little Rock and Cincinnati, played songban and kenkeni for African dance groups in Tallahassee and New York, and held down the bass guitar for Collective Consciousness, an indie band in Philadelphia. He honed his emceeing skills as a featured artist with Washington DC’s Sense of Urgency Band and has written, produced, and arranged for artists across multiple genres. 

As a poet and essayist, Bediako has performed at open mics throughout the East Coast and has written articles and opinion pieces for a variety of traditional and independent media. He released his debut short-story memoir, "Over It: A Father's Understanding of Letting Go" through a collaboration with Say It Loud! Readers and Writers.

Bediako is ever-evolving as a creative artist. As the quintessential renaissance man, he intentionally seeks new ways to forge uplifting and inspiring sounds from science, spirit, and soul.