Everold Manning, also know as Shawn–J, was born in Clarendon, Jamaica on April 2, 1989 in the vicinity of Raymond Settlement (Vere) and was raised in the small town of Sheckels in Four Paths. He is the last child of two sons for both parents. Shawn-J attended Four Paths primary where he joined the school choir and there he got his start in organized music productions. After graduating, he attended Central High School in May Pen, Jamaica where he studied Building Technology. He later went on to further his skills at Heart Trust NTA studying General Construction & Blue Print. All this time, still growing with the love for the music.

Unable to stay away from the musical scene, he used his spare time to develop himself into a versatile singer/songwriter fit to blend in many genres of music, such as R&B, Reggae and Dancehall. He wrote and recorded his first hit single "Hustle Everyday" as a young artist just testing the waters. He followed it up with "What’s Going On" and Real Life", after making his name known to others locally in the musical industry.

Shawn–J has worked on several collaborations including "We Need a Better Way” which features Guess Who, "Got Me Crazy" with Big Blacks and soaring to new heights in 2011, Shawn-J recorded his first international collaboration "Fallen Soldiers" with SammyBritish, taking over the internet stream and the U.S. His aim is to take his music to new heights of expectation while emulating the footsteps of his favorite artist, Sizzla Kalongie