Sheldon Pitt (AKA Solitair) – The One, and Only! A heavyweight in the Hip Hop game!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

I am going to take a completely different spin on this Classic Man. When I interviewed this genius, I didn’t ask him the meaning of his chosen name (Solitair) on purpose. Instead I listened to his story, and did a little research on the word itself.

Producer, artist, songwriter, and studio engineer, Sheldon Pitt (aka, Solitair), is a pioneer, and legend in the world of Hip Hop. His life-long dedication to the arts has taken him to heights that some of us can only dream of. He has been nominated for: two Juno Awards (Best Hip Hop recording, Best R&B recording), MMVA (Best Hip Hop video), and won a UMAC award for Best Hip Hop producer.

He specializes in: music production (Hip Hop/R&B/Pop), song writing and arrangement, recording/mixing and vocal tuning. Somehow he finds the time to manage artists, volunteer, consult, host a radio show (@hashtagvibe105), and run his own program. I missed my first interview appointment with him, and it took a few days to reschedule. When we finally spoke, I learned why it is a privilege to even have a moment of his time. Really and truly, this man is mad busy.

In our interview, Solitair takes me back to his childhood, and as I travelled with him, I saw aspects of his chosen name playing out.

So, there are two different definitions of the word solitaire. The first, a solitaire diamond is a single diamond gemstone that is typically heavier in carat weight. The second, solitaire is a card came that can be played by one person. The game usually involves manipulating a layout of cards, with a goal of sorting them in the best manner to win. The game is regarded as an exercise in patience, and is recognized as a building game.

“I was always into the arts before I even knew the arts were a discipline,” Sheldon tells me. “From since I can remember, I was always into the arts. I was active in school plays and talent shows.” He chuckles. “One of my first plays was a musical, ‘I’ve been working on the railroad.’ I think my mom saw something. She must have or she would not have driven me around to all my extra-curricular activities.”

Sheldon remained very active throughout elementary school, middle school, and right into high school. This is when life became more focused for him. “I started learning about music, and music production. The music process intrigued me; what it took to create a song. Even at this point, I still didn’t consider art as a career path. You know how it is with West Indian parents: school, college or university, and then work. Art is usually not considered a serious career goal.”

Solitaire is a logic-based game, which means it gets your brain moving, keeps your skills sharp
All throughout high school, Sheldon stayed dedicated to perfecting his art. It was here that he met people who would not only inspire him, but also challenge him to take his art to the next level. “ I would definitely say that my first best friend, OJ ( aka, Marvel) peaked my interest in doing more with my skills. He was friends with Kardinal (Offishall), and it was during this time that I learned about the entertainment industry.

I went to Seneca College and got my degree in Audio and Visual Technology. The program included classes in music, film, and television. It was similar to what my focus had been growing up, so my parents were actually okay with my choice of study.” During this time, he was recording music with Marvel, Jully Black, and Kardinal. “We were having fun!” Sheldon explains.

There were a couple of key moments that amplified Sheldon’s career, and during our interview he shared those with me. “Silver Surfer. It was my first song on vinyl. That one was all me: engineering, production. I had some help with the sampling, but it was this song that had other people saying, Sheldon kind of has a knack for this.

By the time I did ‘No doubt,’ I had my own equipment. I had mastered my style and technique. I was maturing in the game. I mixed and promoted it myself. I made a trip to New York, and during those times Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito were the ones to go to, if you wanted your music to be international. They played my record on the college networks. Right after that, we went on a tour to Europe. This was it for me. I could feel the reaction to my music, to my work. Incredible feeling!” 

 “The secret to winning solitaire is to play your aces and twos right away. Don’t leave an empty space if you don’t have a king to put on it.”
After that, Solitair’s career really took off. He began producing songs for the biggest names in Hip Hop, and then Bacardi Slang hit. Now, Solitair was a hit maker, and artists began to flock to him. This laid back, musical genius played all his cards right when it was important, and slowly he transitioned his focus. “Hip Hop is a youth centric culture. It chases the new, upcoming. I am still involved, but I was not going to be travelling. It was time to change things up a bit.”

In 2014, Sheldon and his partners came together to create 4Sound Media studios. They wanted to provide a creative and collaborative atmosphere for both established and emerging artists. It has become a music industry network hub, which creates opportunities to connect with other like-minded artists from the music industry community in Toronto. They service clients from a diverse range of music genres, including: Hip Hop, R&B, Rock, EDM, Alternative, and Acoustic.

“It takes up a lot of time. There are sometimes 70 students that my team and I are responsible for.” Sheldon shares with me

Sheldon is a strong advocate for his community, and works alongside organizations that work with youth. “I have been doing mentorship programs in the community for a long time. I was concerned for my community, and its young people. I speak with at risk youth during weekly meetings about becoming responsible citizens, and what it takes to become a success.”

The hardest Solitaire games are: Canfield, Forty Thieves, Scorpion and Spider Four Suits
What I find paradoxical about Sheldon’s choice of projects is how in line he is with them. During our interview, I found out that Sheldon was a Scorpio. Anyone who knows about the Scorpio sign is that they are very loving, patient, and giving, until you cross them, then that is it. There is no coming back.

In 2015, The Forgiveness Project (aka, “The FYou Project”) became a focus for Sheldon.  The FYou Project is a non-profit organization that conducts workshops and discussions at schools, community centres, and in jails around themes of: conflict resolution, self-worth, restorative justice, and the power of forgiveness.

“I am in the jails almost daily conducting workshops with the inmates. I hit on topics like: anger management, restorative justice, mindfulness meditation, even creative writing. At the genesis of this project I was like yeah! Let’s do this.”

I have already gone over my word count, and there is still so much that can be said about this man. It is wonderful to see that a creative who has done it all, is still taking the time to give back, and help pull people up. In this Classic Man, I presented to you a theory of a man. A man, who patiently, and diligently worked on his craft until he was not only, the best, but represented the best.

We salute you Sheldon Pitt. Keep doing the damn thing!