Mixtape Review : “The spring up” By: G.Hillyer

shad

BY: G. Hillyer

It’s still unclear to me how many people know who Shad is. I’ve felt for years that he’s one of the best rappers out there, and whenever I go to search for new Shad music it seems to be easily accessible and steadily viewed/listened to, so I figure he must be popular in some circles I’m not cool enough to know about. But whenever I mention him to friends of mine who listen to a lot of Hip-Hop, I get the “Who the hell is that?” look. And even though I’m sure the rap-aficionados out there are rolling their eyes like, “C’mon, bro, Shad has been around. Who do you think you’re telling right now?”, I’m sure that this review will introduce many of you to an extremely talented rapper you’re sure to love from here on out.

Shad’s newest mix tape, The Spring Up (found for free right here: http://shadk.bandcamp.com/album/the-spring-up ), is a perfect jumping off point for anybody who wants to get a quick taste of what this guy is all about. Shad is not a rapper you’ll ever hear on the radio or at the club and if his lyrics are any indication I don’t think he wants to be. I personally believe there’s a place for every kind of rap (you’ll find plenty of 2 Chainz and Drake in my library), but Shad’s brand of hip-hop, with its spoken-word flow, conscious lyrics, and eclectic beats, is my absolute favorite.

The Spring Up starts off with a collaboration between Shad and the great DJ Jazzy Jeff. Right off the bat ‘Classic’ hits hard with vocal samples from Jay-Z and Kanye, among others, and plenty of scratching provided by The Fresh Prince’s old running mate. Shad’s flow and lyrics are dedicated to the old-school, as he declares “Classic stays classic til its classic again.” Not to mention he name drops John Havlicek and Bob Cousy — when’s the last time you heard a rapper do that?

Spring changes it up a bit with ‘Outta My Head,’ the mixtape’s second track. We find Shad trapped in his own mind, living in a  reclusive state where “everyone is my nemesis.” The instrumental has a very cinematic feel to it. It’s very soft and soothing at certain points, while intense and defiant at others. Shad talks about appreciating life and the need for one to get out into the world, both mentally and physically. Skratch Bastid, who is the co-author of Spring scratches for the last minute of the track, and gives it a great sound.

‘Clappin,’ has a strange sound that morphs perfectly with Shad’s flow. His lyrics on this track are consistent with those throughout his entire career, laced with self-deprecating comments about his lack of “bling” and popularity — In one sequence he says, “Lose the bling, jewels won’t fool em they know who’s the king….got 8 hits to my name, still googling.”

My favorite track is ‘Homie’, hands down. Featuring Cadence Weapon (who I’ve honestly never heard of), this track is basically a diary of two rappers who paint a picture of the day-in, day-out details of their lives on the road before returning back home to Canada (where Shad, and I’m assuming Cadence Weapon, is from). I love the following line which, in typical Shad style, gives you the impression that he’s just a regular guy while simultaneously making you laugh and respect his lyrical skills: “Im that dude based mostly out of a suitcase, arguing with airports about toothpaste, I’m not quoting the Quran with a vest…and who the hell’s ever made a bomb out of crest?”

Spring‘s last track, ‘Peace’, is a close second to ‘Homie’ in my opinion. It’s a very conscious-hip-hop type of song that finds Shad in a state of skepticism about pretty much everything. Most notably, he feels that “conscious rap is dead…we done hearing it” and that rappers today don’t rap about blacks killing blacks because it’s “so 90s”. There’s “no paper in that real,” Shad declares, “we’d rather hear beats than the sound of the beast.”

All in all this is a great mixtape for every Hip-Hop fan, and especially those who like eclectic/old-school sounds and conscious lyrics. Other great Shad tracks to check out include “I Don’t Like To”, “Rock To It”, “I Get Down”, and “Rose Garden” (which has an awesome video in the vain of Pharcyde’s “Drop”, found here: SHAD – Rose Garden (Official Video))

Maybe you didn’t know who Shad was before, maybe you did. Either way, you’re gonna love The Spring Up.

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