Shala. is the owner of The Movement Worldwide, which represents artists like Cool Kids, Hollywood Holt and Million Dollar Mano. Being that I've stayed on top of all things Cool Kids, but am just hearing about Shala.'s free download mixtape, is proof that his rap career is not a conflict of interest on some Ray Benzino shit.
Shala. (dude is killing my auto-correct with the period in his name) has a pure sleek Chicago sound, fusing house and electro-vibes into a heavy hip hop thump synonymous with the Cool Kids. His flow and voice is Rick Ross-esque, although his braggadocio has a hipster slant, as opposed to the Teflon Don's predilection for lavish Miami life. Songs To Rap Along To is the prelude his full length titled … And Then Along Came Shala.. The mixtape caught my eye with “Molly Whops,” which features Ninjasonik, but I stuck around for “I Ain't Goin',” which flips my favorite SebastiAn beat “H.A.L.” I've been waiting four years for a rapper to jack that beat. SebastiAn lobbed that one over the plate, as far as priming it for hip hop sampling.
Shala. is not limited to electro-hip hop sonics, as several of the songs recall classic Chicago-soul sampling and Timbaland production, which is always appreciated as Mr. Timbo has been quiet for far too long.
Download Songs To Rap Along To here.
