Selvon Noel a.k.a. Mistah Shak was born on 23 rd July, 1978 into a very musically inclined and oriented family. He was very lucky in that the influence was equally strong on both sides of the family. He began to exhibit his musical skills at an early age when, at around the age of seven (7) or eight (8) he began playing the guitar after observing his father. Although he was self taught he soon became a proficient guitarist through trial and error, which helped to further develop his already keen, natural ear for music. This enabled him to teach himself all the other instruments he plays to date, namely the pan, bass guitar and cuatro. He also took an interest in musical activities in his school, Siparia Boys' R.C., becoming a member of the school choir and school pan orchestra. In the choir, he helped his school become victorious in many school competitions, both as a member and a soloist. He was also fortunate to have grown up in Prana Homes in Siparia, the very neighbourhood where, Machel Montano and his family lived and where his band practiced.

Mistah Shak then went on to Naparima College where he became a member of the choir. In 1990, he joined his first band, “Menz & Frenz” , a band of teenagers from the Siparia area, first as a guitarist, then a bassist. In 1992, he joined the “Dulzura Caliente” parang band, a band that consisted mainly family and family friends. There he participated in everything from percussionist, to pannist, to vocalist. He left Naparima College in 1994 with six CXC passes and went on to Siparia Senior Comprehensive to pursue his A' Level Studies. During this time, he joined Youth Promotion Sound System , managed by Harold B, (one of Xtatik's Road Managers) as a Disc Jockey (DJ). There he honed and perfected his skills as a DJ and stage performer. While there he became one of the house DJ's in the “Hoops” Night Club, (co-owned and managed by Machel and Marcus Montano) after leaving Senior Secondary School . In 1997, he became a member of a jazz band, Wave along with his younger brother, Shawn, and Marcus Lewis, local and regional Scouting for Talent winner. In 1998, he became a student in the Theory of Music at Ashford Joseph's School of Arts (Ashford being one of his primary school choir tutors). Here he also did some vocal training, and tutored at the school, as well as alongside Ashford in other primary schools. They also did school shows throughout Trinidad . In 1998, he also joined Hi Styles, another jazz band and left Trinidad with them in 2001, where they played in the Texas and Louisiana State Fairs. It was while preparing for this tour that he met Collis Duranty , who would later prove to be not only a great friend, but also a very influential musical counterpart.

He returned to Trinidad in November 2001, where he joined Censation alongside Soca Monarch, Bunji Garlin, and fellow frontline vocalist, Duranty and Trumpet . Apart from performing with Censation in numerous Carnival Fetes in Trinidad & Tobago, Spice Mas in Grenada , they also accompanied Bunji in concerts such as “ White Night” and “ Love Thing” . In these concerts they performed alongside such international artistes as Bounty Killa , Elephant Man , Anthony B , Sizzla, Gregory Isaacs etc. Mistah Shak left Censation in 2003 along with Duranty , Trumpet and Keyboardist Dwayne Williams. Although they have all continued to support one another, Duranty and Mistah Shak have maintained a rather close musical and personal association. They work together on individual and team projects and their unique styles of writing and performing, complement each other and they continue to help each other develop as writers, recording artistes, performers and individuals. In 2004 Mistah Shak firmly stamped his presence in the Soca, and wider music world with the release of two hits. “ Back Door ”, a cleverly constructed double entendre piece, received constant airplay in Trinidad and Tobago and in New York . The second, “ Frenz and Foez”, a thought provoking “conscious soca”, received good reviews and proved to be a favorite across all age groups. It has also caught the attention of music executives in England . For the 2005 season he has four blazing hits. “ Everything Done ” released on the infectious “ Nutmeg Riddim ”, was produced by his youngest brother Shawn “Da Ma$tamind” Noel. The other three, “ Flamez” on the “ Immediate Riddim ” produced by “ Da Ma$tamind” and “ Cool ” Headley , “ We Doh Like Dem ” on the “ Pot of Gold Riddim ” and “ Dis Meanz War ”, both also produced by “ Da Ma$tamind”, are receiving heavy rotations on radio stations in Trinidad and Tobago and “ Flamez ” has already begun to heat up New York. Look out for this rising star, who, with the help of his musical allies, has already set out at a blistering but calculated pace, in the music fraternity.