It’s no secret that the hip hop landscape is supersaturated. From Soundcloud echo chambers to hype machines pushing a profusion of poseurs, it can be difficult for audiences to distinguish authentic voices from posturing doppelgangers. But with a unique flow and a mesmerizing lyrical aptitude, rapper Shawn Smith is poised to take the hip hop world by storm. His latest freestyle “Chain Gang,” rubbing shoulders with Jay-Z and memorable appearances at the 2018 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher undoubtedly put him on the path to becoming a force to be reckoned within the music industry.
With an ability to spit voracious freestyles while crafting intricate stories the Philly MC chose “Chain Gang” as his first single because he says, “The Chain Gang video is a soft launch to what I’m kicking off this year. The mixtape era is my direct inspiration to pick up a pen in the first place. This record is all of those moments wrapped into a new musical mural — an appreciation to hip hop and what this feel has done for the streets of Philly.” The latest music video finds the young virtuoso on the streets of his hometown paying homage to state property and waxing poetic about everything from his admiration of Michelle Obama to questioning why Congress still hasn’t passed anti-lynching laws. Directed by 12vy of the Midnight Collective, Shawn can be seen decked out in a Marcus Garvey inspired Pan-African flag poised underneath Artist Miguel Horn’s latest alleyway sculptural project ContraFuerte. In “Chain Gang” Smith paints his rhymes in cinematic detail pushing the boundaries of hip-hop while also paying homage to the OG’s that paved the way. Describing the raw and gritty record with intricate punch lines as a “State Property flip,” Philly inflections pepper everything from the bars to the beat.
Long before his lyrical gift attracted the attention of some of the industry’s most recognized and respected figures (Black Thought, Meek Mill, Jay-Z), Smith honed his craft as a brotherly love hip-hop hopeful opening up for rap elites like Rick Ross, Jeezy, DMX, Juelz Santana, and Ice Cube. In realm of contemporary pop culture, it’s easy to secure one’s 15 minutes of fame. But few are fortunate enough to make the most of it, transforming it into a launchpad for a long and viable career. Much of this is based on the right elements and a formula that incorporates the variables of time, opportunity, preparedness and the intangible, elusive X factor. Shawn Smith seems to be at the intersection of all the above.
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