070 Shake, also known as Danielle Balbuena, celebrated her recent success with a free show for fans in North Bergen, where she grew up and played basketball. The rapper and singer appears on recent albums from West, Nas and Pusha-T. Watch video
In a matter of three weeks this spring, 070 Shake, an up-and-coming singer and rapper from New Jersey, soared to the top of the charts on at least two Kanye West projects.
That’s because Shake’s voice, alternately fiery, haunting and dreamlike, is splashed across three recent albums produced by West. On May 25, there was Pusha T‘s album “Daytona.” On June 1, West’s own album, “ye.” And just this past Friday, two days after her 21st birthday, came a guest spot on “Nasir,” the latest album by Nas. “Daytona” hit No. 3 and “ye” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
On Tuesday, Shake, whose given name is Danielle Balbuena, took a victory lap by hosting a free show for local fans in Bruins Stadium at James J. Braddock North Hudson Park in North Bergen.
Wearing high platform shoes, a chain draped across her chest and a do-rag over her braids, Shake sang and danced with fans on the track and in the stands, freely dispensing hugs and autographing everything from T-shirts and a $ 2 bill to a sneaker, a phone and someone’s bare chest.
Before she was gleefully jumping through a field with her arms outstretched like the wings of an airplane earlier this month in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for West’s album listening party, Shake grew up in the city that hugs the Hudson River.
Fans — at least 1,000 RSVPed to the event, organizers said — celebrated Shake’s growing fame at the local event, dubbed 070 Day. They recalled her humble start, when she posted just a few songs online.
Shake has always carried Jersey with her — the “070” in Shake refers to 07047, the zip code for North Bergen, and she’s a member of the 070 crew, a collective of local artists. (They sport “070” tattoos like the one Shake has near her temple.)
“We went to the same elementary school,” said Andryana Henao, 17, a student at High Tech High School in North Bergen. “Her mom and my mom are actually really good friends, so I’ve been listening to her since her first song on SoundCloud.”
Shake attended North Bergen High School not long before she was signed to Kanye West’s record label, G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music, in 2016. In 2015, she was still a shooting guard on the Bruins girls basketball team. The “Shake” part of her name refers to the “shake weave,” a favorite move the future rapper and her friend used in basketball.
070 Shake spreading ‘positivity’ to the crowd at a free concert in North Bergen. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)“I’m really happy for her,” Henao said. “A lot of teachers told her she wasn’t gonna get anywhere in life and I remember seeing her play basketball — she was really good in high school — and I thought she was going to be, like, a famous basketball player, but she started coming out with music and she started getting a lot of views and stuff, so I’m really glad that she’s where she is right now.”
At the show, Shake sang along to several songs from “ye,” including the ones featuring her voice, “Ghost Town,” and “Violent Crimes.” (Another Jersey artist, Ant Clemons, is featured on the chorus of the song “All Mine.”)
Even as critics and fans weighed all the noise that preceded the “ye” release, including West’s controversial, headline-making tweets and “TMZ” appearance, Shake’s part on “Ghost Town” in particular was hailed as a highlight of the seven-track album. Her two-minute outro could have easily been the chorus. The North Bergen crowd drowned her out as she launched into the indefatigable anthem:
“And nothing hurts anymore, I feel kinda free/ We’re still the kids we used to be/ I put my hand on a stove/ To see if I still bleed/ And nothing hurts anymore/ I feel kinda free.”
070 Shake is readying her debut album, ‘Yellow Girl.’ (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)On Pusha-T’s album, “Daytona,” Shake, who is of Dominican heritage, sings the refrain of a song titled “Santeria” in Spanish. She co-wrote a total of three songs on West’s album and can be heard on the chorus of the song “Not for Radio” on the Nas album.
And though she hasn’t had a chart-topping song with her own name on it yet, Shake has drawn a fair amount of attention since she was signed to West’s label. While she doesn’t like to be confined to labels like “gay” or “straight,” the artist and her girlfriend were photographed for Vogue last year as part of a feature called “The Rising Stars Queering Rap.” Over the past two years, she has also modeled for Gypsy Sport and Mugler.
In March, Shake, who started with a series of singles and a project with the 070 crew, released her first EP, “Glitter.” Her debut album, “Yellow Girl,” is in the works. Her songs have taken on subjects including depression, drugs and individuality.
“We’re the kids that never made ’em proud/We’re the ones that break the rules, we live to stand out,” she sings on “Proud,” one of her first songs, recorded in 2015.
“There’s a lot of rappers that they don’t have, really, meaning to their music,” said Jahniya Sierra, 13, a student at Robert Fulton School in North Bergen. “And I feel like Shake, she has a reason for her music and she’s trying to spread a message through it.”
“North Bergen’s a small town so we’re all like a family in this town,” she said. “I’m just really proud of her.”
At the show, Shake took some time to recognize the loss of a friend, the Florida rapper and singer XXXTentacion, 20, who was fatally shot on Monday.
“I wanna have a little moment for my brother X,” she said, asking for a brief period of silence.
“Hug the person next to you, tell them you love them!” she continued. “Friends forever!”
Shake also performed her songs with the 070 crew, including the energetic “Honey,” a warm 2016 dance track infused with the kind of looped piano found in house music.
“I know where we come from it doesn’t seem like anything’s possible,” she said. “But look at me.”
Once a basketball player at North Bergen High School, 070 Shake is poised to be the next big thing out of Kanye West’s label. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)“We can do anything with love,” Shake told the crowd. “I give you all my positivity and I want you to receive it.” She enthusiastically posed for selfies, embraced friendly faces and offered some more words of encouragement.
“Keep believin’ in yourself, bro,” she said to one fan, choosing to mingle with the audience instead of stay on a stage set back from the bleachers. “I know I’m going to see you again one day, bro. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.”
As the evening sun beat down on the audience, Shake plunged deeper into the crowd, presiding over a mosh pit that swallowed at least one phone before she had to squash the exploits of one crowd surfer as local police looked on.
“I want all the must!” she said, surveying the gathering of sweaty faces. “Put the phones down, let’s have fun with each other.” (And later: “Y’all stink so bad!”)
Henry Velazquez, 22, who rushed from work to catch most of the show.
“She’s so inspirational for this generation at this time,” he said.
Though Shake has worked with West, Pusha-T and Nas, packed out shows in New York and gone on tour, it wasn’t long ago that she was playing to 100 or so people in North Bergen, said Velazquez, a North Bergen native who lives in Bayonne. (Shake’s previous attempt to visit a local park in 2017 was shut down by police.)
Shake’s swift rise from SoundCloud artist to major label talent sends her message loud and clear, he said.
“You could literally start from the bottom and make your way to the top, you know. Anything’s possible if you make it happen.”
Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook.