hiphoplifeandtimes

The world might be coming to an end shortly, but at least I have a good soundtrack to it. When I reach those pearly gates and St Peter asks me what I’m rocking in my headphones (yeah those WESC headphones are sturdy tings, even in the advent of the Apocalypse) I’ll tell him only the finest records that 2012 had to offer, and Shotstoppa’s new album ‘Shedding Light Shedding Skin will be one them…Hands up who’s a fan of my weird little intros!
Alright maybe it’s just me, ahh well legend in my own lunchtime.

There are two words that are immediately synonymous with ‘Shedding Light Shedding Skin.’, “urgency” and “relentless”. Throughout the whole record it seems like Shotstoppa’s trying desperately to throw every last bit of passion he can into this record before it come to an end. It’s the difference between writing some lazy “hay, bay month of May, Swag, jag, tag” raps, and ones that stay imbedded in your brain as soon as you hear them. That’s a pretty hard accomplishment to achieve regardless of genre, and Shot does it so well. The record begins with a spoken word called ‘What Happened?’. It’s intense and prolific, and immediately grabs you in and sets itself up for the pace of the entire album. It’s not so much that ShotStoppa is simply shouting things at you as fast as he can, whilst you try to work out the narrative. Rather the imagery of the tracks are laid out so well that each song serves as a short chapter, so it never feels like you’re being weighed down with badly placed metaphors or hearing the same song 14 times. I’m not trying to be over-descriptive for the sake of it here, that’s just how I see the record plays out.

“It Can’t Rain Forever’ is one of my favourite tracks, both for the lyrical content and flow, and Dead Man Walkn’s production. His production really shines on this release, and whilst I’m trying my best not to fangirl out too much, this is by far one of my favourite albums produced by the man himself. The beats and tones are intricate and cleverly woven together. The piano in ICRF is so well placed, and gives the track it’s edge, instrumentally. The song itself is such a positive track, and had me repeating it constantly. I love the lyrics for this one, and it’s uplifting without falling into the realms of being cheesy or cliche.

‘Nothing Comes Cheaply’ really showcases the versatility of both ShotStoppa and Dead Man. It’s harsh, abrasive and catchy as fuck. It’s quite reminiscent of Akala’s “Welcome To Dystopia”, although done at double speed. Not a bite, but a complimentary comparison.
Not to forget the two guest rappers, RoOMaH & Cirus Plans who really hit hard on the track ‘Almost’. It’s a pretty dark but overwhelmingly positive song, about moving away from all things that hold you back. RoOMaH’s’ verse is very self-aware, unapologetic and unashamedly motivated. I like the way that during Cirus Plans’ verse he stops for a second to breath in and gives the listener time enough to wonder what’s coming next. It’s one of my favourites parts of the song.

‘Road To Acceptance’ is a great near album ender, and I liked the fact that Shotstoppa differentiated between Faith and organised religion, something that a lot of people find so hard to do. They usually just go on the course of ‘Fuck that, fuck this. It’s all the same’. ‘Acceptance’ is clever enough to know the difference.

In my humble opinion this album is written with all the external topics and issues of  every day life, but executed and articulated via ShotStoppa’s internal fears, inspirations and experiences. It’s a deep record, but never ahead of itself. It’s inclusive and clever. But hey, if you don’t believe me take a listen for yourself.

R.I.Y.L: Akala, Ruthless, Haan, The Ruby Kid.
Stand Out Tracks: It Can’t Rain Forever, Ease My Pain, Almost, My Love.

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Dead Man Walkn Soundcloud

Words: Aimee