Shakka: The Sound Warrior

SHAKKA | Foolishness Vol. 1

 

So I start typing and then stop…why? Cos I’m trying to figure out how I’m gonna write this without coming across as a Stan (when I say ‘Stan’ I mean an over-zealous/ obsessed / maniac-type fan)…more to the point can you even be considered a ‘certified Stan’ after hearing only a 6-track mixtape, from an artist you never even knew existed before that?!  Well, judging by the amount of times I’ve listened to Shakka’s mixtape – Foolishness Vol. 1…

The main reason I downloaded it in the first place was because the title made me LOL, which obviously made me curious to hear what it was about. Believe me, I had no idea about the eargasm I had comin on this one! I listened to it once and then rang Nate on a hype, like “DOWNLOAD IT RIGHT NOW!”  as if his life depended on it. This was back in December and needless to say it’s been on weekly rotation ever since. But even I was abit late on this one as it was actually released about six months before that in July. It’s a minor though cos as we like to say “there’s no “old” music or “new” music –  just “good” music (and “not so good” music)!

I’m not sure about the meaning behind the title cos as far as I can see the only thing ‘foolish’ about this mixtape, is the fact that there ain’t more songs on it. I for one could listen to Shakka’s music all.day.long. Then again it is only an EP. Can’t tell you too much about the man himself except he is from London Town, hella gifted, unsigned and in his very early twenties (21 if I’m not mistaken), and Foolishness Vol. 1 is as real as it gets! Again I’m trying to restrain the inner Stan but for K2 it ticks damn near all the boxes. A super-fresh sound that is captivating, infectious and exciting, and not to mention hyper. The energy is mad and you can’t help but be drawn to it.

Shakka’s sound is past any genre-classification and is a musical melting pot of many from Hip-Hop to Jazz to Ska to UK Funky slash Dub-step to Reggae and with elements of ‘Big Band’ that create those Latino-type vibes, and with a clear Caribbean influence (Pourquoi). As a lover of instrumentation I definitely appreciate the use of ‘real’ instruments in the music from Keys, to Bass, to Guitar, to Sax and of course Drums (his band is BANGIN’!)– yet at the same the combination of these instruments with synthesised sounds is natural, and makes the overall sound that much richer, in the sense that the instrumentals are not ‘backing tracks’ but pieces of music that further accentuate the subject matter and vocals in the songs.

Take for example Drivin’. A beautiful track and a nice mellow ending to the mixtape.  It features solely the piano. However the piano is more than just accompaniment and is a ‘necessary’ voice in the song, as along with Shakka’s it narrates the story through variations in rhythm, dynamics and pitch, and perfectly captures the ‘high’ and ‘low’ parts of the song. Talk to Me is my favourite song on the mixtape (and actually now one of my fav songs full stop). Can’t get enough of it! The beat, the vibe, the lyrics – the lot. 90% of the sounds on the track are created by Shakka – human beat-box style, and are delivered so well that if you don’t listen closely you’d probably think there were some electronics involved there.

In terms of lyrical content and subject matter, it’s real, frank and VERY WITTY. There’s so many bars that make me laugh out loud starting with the 2^nd verse of On Goes The Show which is basically an account of some interesting observations on a bus ride, retold in the most comical way! From toes that shouldn’t be on show, to cyclists colliding with pedestrians, and overpriced shirts in the shop window of Zara.

Makin Good Music is about the mental/ emotional process, obstacles and distractions Shax faces in creatively putting lyrics down for tracks – from being mocked by his pen to being interrupted by his mum, and wanting to play Mario Kart instead of focusing on writing…hilarious!

And if we’re talking about ‘feel-good’ we’re talking about We’yoo (produced by TE1). This track would be perfect in rotation on a night with some grown and sexy Funky House (DJs pay attention!). One where there’s no inclusion of tunes that contain phrases like “are you gonna bang doe?” or make mention to any kind of physical action relating to your heads, shoulders, knees and toes… I’ve had many kitchen (cooking), car and bedroom raves to this, and you only need to hear it a few times before you’re subconsciously walking around singing “we’yoo, we’yooooooooooo o o o”!

Though what I admire most is the freedom in it all. It’s as if he puts no restrictions or confines on his style or sound and makes no attempt whatsoever to emulate any of the most prominent styles of UK music, or US for that matter. It is unashamedly original and beautifully authentic right down to the good ol’ London twang. Lyrical delivery is both through singing and rhyming which is in parts conversational, and he uses intonation, ad-libs, harmonies and ‘echoes’ to bring out the lyrics more. As an MC/rapper/spoken-word artist (call it what you like!) his flow is impressive and engaging, but his vocal ability as a singer is equally impressive. He has a very distinct vocal tone, and a healthy set of lungs to match cause there sure is power in his voice.

There are many that attempt to do both (singing and rhyming) and Shakka is one of the few that manages to do them convincingly and with conviction. Right now the only other artist that springs to mind is Phonté (The Foreign Exchange / Little Brother)…

One thing N8 and I were both very impressed by on the first few listens is the quality of production of the mixtape. It is a crisp, polished and professional-sounding recording and is testament that ‘good quality music’ isn’t necessarily created in the £1bn studio of a major record label (See video above). Shax briefly makes mention of this in Makin Good Music…  “…eliminate pessimism of/ these modern blessings of/ Cubase, Reason, Logic and Pro Tools/ we now choose to make tunes without engineer fools/ confused with bullsh!t rules/ like nyamin out life-savings for one or two tunes…/” …

I consider Foolishness Vol. 1 to be more than just a promotional release as it is actually one of my favourite things to listen to right now. In only six songs he successfully manages to articulate the originality and versatility of his style which is why I find it so highly ironic that Shax (rhetorically) asks the question “Why is it so damn hard to make good music?”. However I do think that this is purely a teaser of what Shakka has in store for our tender little ear drums, and if he keeps creating music of this calibre, I don’t think the Underground will be able to hold him in its clutches for much longer.

Next to Daley he is at the top of our ‘Don’t Sleep On’ list.

I really can’t help but speak passionately about Shakka and his music because it really does excite and inspire me. So if indeed I sound more like a Stan than a Fan, then in the words of Mr Shax himself, “I don’t mind (no), cos the music makes me feel fine!”.

(Also check out Incisive (rapper/producer) – haven’t had a chance to listen to his music properley, but what I have heard so far I’m defo feelin’).

K2 Co-signs

 

 

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