Shawn Da General was born Shawn Hill Jr. on April 14, 1988 in Washington Park, IL. This East St. Louis neighborhood garnered the nickname “Chalie Park” as a reference to “Charlie” used in war zones.  That isn’t an ideal breeding ground for inspirational music but it can create a General.  Shawn grew up in impossible surroundings but was immediately called to the church.  He spent much of his youth as a traveling youth pastor throughout the midwest region.  His age & charisma made him relatable to young people in the Christian community.  As he gained more popularity, the stigmas, the judgemental nature of many religious authorities, & losing friends to violence drove him out of the spotlight.  He joined his friends in the darker life of the streets.  As his life got darker, so did his music. During this time he also began engineering for other artists.  He is heralded as one of the top engineers in the Metro St. Louis area to this day.  He and his crew formed a label called Porsche Movement Enterprise or PME.  Over time that label developed into Much Betta Music Group.

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With rising notoriety on the other side of music, Shawn began feeling conflicted.  His heart belonged to the church still.  At the suggestion of a cousin, Shawn returned to his roots.  While finding the balance between his love of making music and spreading the word, he began writing more inspirational music.  He was able to travel and perform with Christian music veterans like Dwight Stone & Willie Moore Jr. as part of their Young, Fly, & Saved initiative during the early 2010s.  During that time he released his first project Back 2 The Drawing Board.  A literal example of the change he’d made in his life.  The mixtape included his breakout single, Why Me? He released several more mixtapes afterwards before stepping away again.

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While his music was flourishing, he also got married and had his first child, a son.  He again had trouble with finding the balance in his life.  Engineering, marriage, & fatherhood all consumed his time for several years.  During that time, Shawn strengthened his spirituality and joined the popular Faith Church in St. Louis.  Over time, he began performing again during the church's many musical productions. That time on stage restored his desire to make his own music.  In mid-2018, he began recording again and on June 28, 2019 he released his first official album, The Peace Tape.  The process of finishing a project after so many years off left him energized.  Less than a year later, he returned again with In Spite Of… as his second album.  The second album is a testament of his trials and his dedication to his faith.  Throughout his life Shawn has been battle tested and remained a believer in God.  He’s walked the line & been through the fire.  He’s still standing in spite of it all.  He’s won the war.  Stripes intact.