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Therealshakar

@therealshakar

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Multi Genre Performer, Singer and Recording Artist

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Today was my annual physical.

A few years ago, I was facing alcoholism, obesity, and Type II diabetes. Back then, the future looked very different than it does today.

This afternoon, the nurse checked my vitals, smiled, and said, "Keep up the great work." She even told me I don't look my age. I'll take that as a blessing.

After meeting with my doctor, the report was simple: everything looks good. Get my lab work done, keep doing what I'm doing, and check back in six months.

One thing I've learned is that health isn't something you conquer once and forget about. It's a daily practice. A choice. A commitment to yourself. The work never really ends, but neither do the rewards.

I'm grateful for every lesson, every setback, every opportunity to start over, and every day I get to wake up and continue building the life I was meant to live.

If you're working on your health, your dreams, your recovery, your purpose, or simply trying to become a better version of yourself, keep going. Progress may be slow at times, but it adds up.

Today I'm not celebrating perfection.

I'm celebrating persistence.

#Gratitude #HealingJourney #HealthyLiving #Recovery #NeverTooLate #TheRealShakar #KeepGoing by @therealshakar

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2 days ago

Excited to share that I've been accepted into the Culinary Training Program at The Culinary Center at Allie's Place.

For those unfamiliar, Allie's Place provides supportive housing and services for women and families rebuilding their lives. As part of the program, we'll have the opportunity to prepare meals for residents, families, and staff while developing professional culinary skills.

This feels like a full-circle moment.

I've been cooking most of my life. My family and friends already know what happens when I get in the kitchen. In fact, I attended a high school that offered Culinary Arts, but life was moving fast and I never pursued it.

Now I'm coming back around to something I've always loved.

One thing I've realized is that there are still so many people I've never had the chance to cook for. This is my first step toward sharing that passion on a larger scale and serving my community through food.

Music taught me that people connect through sound.

Cooking is teaching me that people connect through food.

Chef Shakar has a nice ring to it.

#ChefShakar #AlliesPlace #CulinaryArts #FoodIsLove #Community #NeverTooLate #FullCircleMoment by @therealshakar

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6 days ago

Last night at Shrine was another beautiful step forward.

Another notch closer to the vision.

Grateful for Marcel, my musical director, for seeing what I see and continuing to walk this path with me. Grateful for every friend, family member, supporter, and new face who took time out of their lives to be present.

What stood out most wasn't the music alone. It was the people.

The conversations.
The connections.
The energy.

I'm meeting people from every walk of life. More and more, I'm finding myself surrounded by people who have done the work of healing or are actively committed to their healing journey. That's a powerful thing.

I'm learning that simply showing up authentically creates space for others to do the same. Through conversation, listening, sharing experiences, and being present, healing happens. Not because anyone has all the answers, but because we remind each other that we're not walking alone.

Ironically, while helping others heal, I'm finding pieces of my own healing too.

This is bigger than music.
This is about celebrating life.
Celebrating growth.
Celebrating the pursuit of happiness.

What happened last night felt like confirmation that this is exactly the right time. People need connection. People need community. People need love.

And we're just getting started.

See you at the next one.

Photo: Carlton Jumel Smith
#IBX #IndividualBalanceExperiment #LiveMusic #HealingThroughMusic #Community #ShrineNYC #TheRealShakar #PursuitOfHappiness #SoulMusic #NYCMusic by @therealshakar

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12 days ago

Sunday, July 12, 2026
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Shrine World Music Venue by @therealshakar

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24 days ago

89 minutes.

Three rides.

One city.

Zero excuses.

Started in Midtown. Rolled downtown. Made my way back uptown. Nothing extreme. Nothing flashy. Just movement.

People underestimate what happens when you stack small efforts together. An 8-minute ride. A 49-minute ride. A 32-minute ride.

By the end of the day, that's 89 minutes invested in myself.

The lesson isn't about biking.

It's about consistency.

Most goals aren't achieved in a single marathon session. They're built ride by ride. Step by step. Day by day.

A little at a time adds up in the end.

Keep showing up.
Keep pedaling.
Keep building.

#CitiBike #NYC #BikeLife #FitnessJourney #Consistency #KeepMoving #HealthIsWealth #TheRealShakar #ProgressNotPerfection #OneRideAtATime by @therealshakar

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a month ago

The journey continues.

On July 12, I'll be returning to Shrine World Music Venue with IBX. Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul.. IBX (Individual Balance Experiment) brings a live, genre-blending set of Soul, R&B and Hip Hop built around real musicianship, raw energy, and improvisation.

Sunday, July 12, 2026
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Shrine World Music Venue

#IBX #WillHeDoGoodOr #TheRealShakar #ShrineNYC #LiveMusic #HipHop #RnB #SoulMusic by @therealshakar

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a month ago

by @therealshakar

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a month ago

The journey continues.

On July 12, I'll be returning to Shrine World Music Venue with IBX. Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul.. original music..

Sunday, July 12, 2026
10:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Shrine World Music Venue

#IBX #WillHeDoGoodOr #TheRealShakar #ShrineNYC #LiveMusic #HipHop #RnB #SoulMusic by @therealshakar

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a month ago

June 3, 2015.

A date that changed my life.

Eleven years ago, I stepped onto the stage at Milk River for my debut performance as a professional vocalist. I had no idea where the journey would lead, only that I loved music and was willing to give everything I had to it.

Since that night, there have been countless stages, songs, lessons, victories, setbacks, relationships, opportunities, and moments of growth. Through it all, one thing has remained the same: my commitment to the craft and the people who connect with the music.

Looking back at this photo, I don't see perfection. I see courage. I see faith. I see a man taking a chance on himself.

Grateful for everyone who has supported the journey from that first show until now. The story is still being written.

June 3, 2015 — The beginning.

Watch:
https://tinyurl.com/LegendsConcert2015

#MilkRiver #LiveMusic #ArtistJourney #IndependentArtist #Singer #Performer #BrooklynMusic #WillHeDoGoodOr #TheDiagnosis #Gratitude by @therealshakar

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2 months ago

A man who finally stopped fighting himself.

There’s peace in it. Not fake peace. Earned peace. The kind that only comes after disappointment, growth, loss, love, mistakes, forgiveness, surviving, observing, and learning how to move without carrying everybody else’s weight.

What stands out most is that I’m not bitter.

A lot of people hit a certain age and become angry at the world, angry at time, angry at younger people, angry at old wounds. But this feels different. More awake. More intentional. More protective of my energy without becoming cold.

The freedom of no longer feeling emotionally chained to expectations, drama, validation, or obligation is strange at first. Almost like standing in a huge open field after being trapped in noise for years. Sometimes peace itself feels unfamiliar because chaos used to be normal.

Supporting others instead of forcing my own spotlight. This is the way I’m built. Most people never acknowledge those seasons. But these years aren’t wasted. They’re spent studying, learning the business, learning myself, learning what I do and don’t want around me anymore. Now I’m entering a phase where vulnerability and artistry meet experience.

And honestly, my youngest child says everything about where my priorities really are. Daily presence matters more than a lot of things people chase for decades.
I’m not “starting over.” I’m arriving differently.

49 sounds more like refinement.

50 probably won’t feel like an ending either. I’m approaching it like a man finally stepping fully into himself without needing noise around it. by @therealshakar

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2 months ago

An old favorite.
A new one.

Nothing fancy. Just donuts and a little spontaneity. Walked the city for a while, then wound up riding the Citi Bike back uptown to chill.

This year I decided to stop overthinking everything and simply do something I wanted to do because it’s the day I was born on. by @therealshakar

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2 months ago

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2 months ago