Complex Senior Writer & Former Genius Editor-in-Chief — Shawn Setaro

Shawn Setaro (Twitter: @sameoldshawn) is a writer and reporter for podcasts at Complex. Throughout his prolific career he has written for The Atlantic, Vibe, The Source, GQ, Forbes, the Sondheim Review, and many more outlets. He was formerly, the Editor-in-Chief of Genius.com. He was the writer and reporter on Spotify x Complex podcasts…. Infamous: The Tekashi 6ix9ine Story, narrated by NYC radio legend Angie Martinez; a second season of Infamous about Florida rapper YNW Melly; and Complex Subject: Pop Smoke, a biographical series about the late Brooklyn rap star. Shawn created and hosted The Cipher, a podcast that featured interviews with over 200 legendary figures in hip-hop and is a newly published author with his book, Complex Presents: Dummy Boy, Tekashi 6ix9ine and the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods, available wherever books are sold.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS //+ How Shawn first got into journalism+ Stumbling across and working at RapGenius.com when it was just in embryo form+ How rap music can assuage feelings of PTSD+ Getting signed to a record label and then it falling apart and the trauma that can leave artists with for a long period of time+ Lack of proper resources within the music industry to deal with emotional and mental health+ In a society that glorifies hustle mentality and productivity, it’s crucial to avoid burnout + What got Shawn so interested in the Tekashi 69 saga+ Our fascination with celebrity culture and the history behind it+ Shawn’s biggest adversity in his own journey and what he learned from the experience