Windham resident looks to Shine with new album release

Munye Mohamed, who goes by the stage name
'Shine' recently moved to Windham and is releasing
his latest album at the end of this month. Here he is as
featured in his music video for 'Aspirations' in 2015.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Erin Rose 

 A new star is on the rise in Windham and is looking to connect with audiences through his latest album. 
Munye Mohamed, who goes by the stage name Shine, will be releasing “Aspirations 3” on Thursday, November 27. It marks the third and final installment of the series and is a culmination of the project. 
“The vision is only getting better” the rapper said. “I’m trying to always progress.” 

“Aspirations 3” follows two previous albums, “Aspirations” and “Aspirations 2”. Released in 2015, the initial album found incredible success on YouTube and amassed more than 1.6 million views on the video streaming site. 

Shine spent more than a year working with an artist in California to craft the video for the album’s “Lifeless” track. He also spent a significant amount of his own funds to support the visual release, including renting a private plane and Lamborghini.

“It was a lot, but that’s what I have to do,” he said. “People are going crazy for the new video!” 
The video features futuristic themes, including AI-generated content, and is meant to be looking towards Shine’s future success in life and the music industry. 

“People have never seen anything like this in Maine,” Shine noted. 

Admitting to making some mistakes in the past, Shine is looking to be an example for older teens as they transition into adulthood, pointing to alcohol as a contributing factor to poor decision-making. 

“For young adults, I feel like alcohol is a problem,” he said, adding that young kids struggle with their emotions but do not reach out for suitable help instead of using alcohol to cope. “My music, it’s for the people out there that have been through what I’ve been through.” 

The shift away from that lifestyle even shows in Shine’s name, as he originally used the moniker “Moonshine”, but no longer wanted the tie to alcohol in his brand. 

“As I moved out of a scene that included heavy drinking, I slowed down,” he said. “I don’t want to portray that image. I took out the moon, and now I shine.” 

His upbringing experiencing poverty in Portland has helped shape his music and is empowering the artist to push and strive for better things.

“I came up from the projects,” he said.  “I’m the people that people look up to. It’s not easy.” 
The artists recently moved to Windham after spending his life in Portland, seeking the peace and quiet of the community to lay down roots.  

“Portland is a lot of noise, a lot going on,” he noted. “Windham is peace of mind.” 

His high school English teacher encouraged him to compete in the Maine Poetry Out Loud competition in 2011, which started Shine’s journey to discovering the power of words. That competition even features in the music video for “Aspirations.” A two-year trip to Kenya then helped inspire the artist to shift into music. 

“Africa got me on track and made me humble,” he said, adding that “the sky’s the limit.”

While pursuing music, Shine also works at the Oakhurst Dairy in Portland and recently graduated from the Northeast Technical Institute with a degree in HVAC. 

Shine’s music can be found on Spotify, Soundcloud, and YouTube Music. The video will also be available on YouTube once released. <