Shao Dow

Born in London, Shao Dow develops independent rap at the intersection of hip‑hop, manga culture and video games, writing lyrics in both English and Japanese. His path also includes a stay in China where he trained in Shaolin kung‑fu, an element that later informs his visual and stage universe as well as his writing. Shao Dow has built his career outside traditional channels through his DiY Gang Entertainment structure, while simultaneously working as an author on the manga series The Way of Shao. In his music he combines precise flows, intense productions and references to Japanese animation, martial arts and contemporary pop imagination, performing across rap stages, geek‑culture events and live shows. He has collaborated with Sean Schemmel, the English voice of Goku in Dragon Ball Z, and appears on the lead single from Tech N9ne’s album Asin9ne. His work has also been featured in Amazon Prime’s All or Nothing: Arsenal, in PlayStation‑ and Sony‑related content, and on “Thunder Roll,” a track associated with a Fortnite update. Shao Dow has spoken in the British Parliament to defend small venues and represented the United Kingdom at Expo 2025 in Osaka.