Tony Shhnow’s music camps out on the intersection of hard-earned life classes, cash counter adlibs, and #vibes. Play any Shhnow music and also you’re as more likely to be captivated by the beat as a lot as something he’s saying, a testomony to the golden ear he’s developed as a key participant in Atlanta’s plugg rap scene. It’s initially weird to listen to Shhnow evaluating himself to a mathematician for the best way he holds his gun on the nook over beats that will sound at dwelling on an episode of Steven Universe, however his means to circulate over absolutely anything has saved his prolific streak fascinating. His grim tales and foolish metaphors sound simply as snug over CashCache and scene veteran MexikoDro’s ethereal synths as they do over the warped samples of New Jersey producer GRiMM Doza. That means has made him probably the most thrilling rappers working, it’s genuinely thrilling to listen to what sound he’ll deal with subsequent, a chameleon in Bape fatigues.
For all of the totally different sounds Shhnow has rapped over, most of his tasks are likely to give attention to one particular fashion at a time. There isn’t a lot on Reflexions, his second launch of 2022, that differs from his earlier work, however the challenge is the primary to show it multi functional place. Contemplating his increasing profile, Reflexions appears like a Tony Shhnow sampler, an audible picture dump of his capabilities. Sweet-colored plugg beats sharing area with sample-based manufacturing would possibly trigger whiplash in anyone else’s arms, but it surely all comes along with the arrogance of Shhnow’s voice.
Take opening music “Summer time Off Relaxxx,” which begins with producer FwThis1Will’s slinky sirens and 808s earlier than smash-cutting to Sparkheem’s deep-fried flip of John Legend’s “Prelude” from his 2004 debut album Get Lifted. Shhnow not solely gives up intelligent lifeisms (“I Velcroed all my footwear, it ain’t no day that I’m gon’ journey”) and obscure allusions to his drug-dealing previous; his supply morphs from inflexible to torpid because the beat switches, sustaining momentum with out derailing the music. Shhnow’s malleable voice performs an enormous half within the unpredictability of his songs. He might be loud and glued to a rhythm like he’s on “Present U,” or he might be mellow and jog a half-step behind like he’s close to the start of “Park My Automotive.” Throughout the center part of his verse on “Go!,” his supply will get breathy and high-pitched however no much less forceful. He’s clearly having enjoyable with pushing the boundaries of his sound, which supplies every music on Reflexions the colourful and unpredictable air of a gumball machine.
