Montreal-based music producer and viral TikTok creator shonci is known for blending the super-charged energy of Brazilian funk with electronic and club influences. With Brazilian roots and a deep connection to the baile funk sound, shonci has carved out a distinct creative lane that resonates across cultures and continents. His humorous and high-energy beat-making videos have earned him a following of over 3 million on TikTok alone, and over 800K subscribers on YouTube.
His genuine and charismatic online presence draw millions, who watch him craft music from scratch in FL Studio. He’s also rapidly become one of the most recognizable faces bringing Brazilian funk to a global audience. With a growing catalog of original tracks, remixes and collaborations, he’s more than just an entertainer but a true artist. In the interview, shonci discusses the influence of his heritage, blowing up on TikTok and diving into DJing.
You started making music for fun and now it’s a full on career. Did you ever anticipate that your content and music would blow up like it has? 
Never thought it was possible. I always felt like there was a barrier… a wall separating us from famous people you see on your screen. That feeling always discouraged me from creating and posting stuff. I always thought “There is no chance for a normal guy like me to make it.”
When TikTok came out, it felt like everybody had a chance. I would see so many different people, and even some friends of mine with videos blowing up. That’s when I told myself to just do it and post whatever I find entertaining. I was shocked to see that people really liked my content and even more my music, since I was a beginner and had no clue what I was doing.
How has your Brazilian heritage influenced your sound, as well as your approach to rhythm and storytelling?
Growing up in Brazil made me fall in love with the energetic and bouncy flow of Brazilian Funk. The drums, the sounds, and the culture behind it really shaped my taste for music. I feel like because of that, I always want to listen to music that makes me super hype like dembow or amapiano.
Your rapid rise is deeply tied to social media. Do you see platforms like TikTok as creative tools or as necessary marketing platforms?
I think nowadays, sadly, it is necessary to push your music through platforms like TikTok. You can’t just focus on making music anymore. There is just too much competition, tools are more available than ever, labels are pushing short format content, and the conversion really shows… A track that blows up on TikTok really does well on streaming platforms.
Your content brilliantly merges education and entertainment. Do you think teaching others has made you a better artist?
Definitely. I think one of the best ways to learn is to teach someone. That’s what I used to do in school, explain my math answers to the wall as if I was teaching it.
I also think that making content pushed me to make certain genres I would have never touched otherwise. Making a Wii type beat, Bossa Nova, rock music… I was able to find new plugins, sounds and methods because of that.
If you could collaborate with an artist from a completely different genre or scene, who would it be and what do you think that record would sound like?
Skrillex is my top choice here. He has done some Brazilian stuff before and I know a track with me would be crazy. This track would be intense and more on the underground scene of Brazilian Funk.
What’s your “I can’t believe that video blew up” story?
I went mountain biking once, and had an idea to prank my friends. I recorded myself on snapchat as if I was making a vlog. When I went home, I added a video of a bear I found online and put the snapchat text on top. It was amazing, the lighting and quality of the video matched my vlog perfectly. The bear chased after me and I added bear sounds while I was biking away.
I posted on TikTok and it blew up and people believed it was real, to the point that the news reached out to me and other people would make videos about it. I was shocked to see millions of people believe that I was recording a bear and getting chased by it.
Your TikToks go crazy! Do you have a formula for a viral shonci moment or do they happen organically?
I kinda have a formula that works. I learned this from the Kardashians honestly. One of the strongest content strategies is storytelling. My series “Learning how to make beats” was successful because people liked how the videos were not about a producer acting cool, making a fire beat. The videos were about just another guy, learning and struggling, showing raw emotions. That guy could have been someone you went to school with or worked with, and that is the connection that makes the videos so powerful.
What’s the weirdest sample you’ve ever turned into a hit?
Someone coughing really loud. So loud that it was kinda concerning but anyways, I sampled that to make some percs. The song was not even good, I just found it very funny.
Is there anything on your playlist right now that would surprise your fans?
I think I listen to really weird stuff and the music can be kinda overwhelming, my friends call it schizo music. Right now it’s music by Ocelot and babyteen.
If your career was a movie, what movie would it be and which actor would play your role?
Inception cause I don’t know what is going on in the movie and that’s how I feel sometimes. The actor would be Dwayne Johnson.
What’s next for shonci?
My next step is to learn how to DJ because it looks really fun and I think I would go crazy on it.
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