As far as compliments go, “jaw-droppingly irresponsible” is the kindest thing you could ever call an up-and-coming rap artist in the increasingly chaotic sphere of the internet-commandeered genre. Such are the words Deathbomb Arc use to describe longtime collaborator Shadi Mohamad—known simply as SHADI—and his power electronics–inspired brand of noise rap.
Making a name for himself with a verse alongside JPEGMAFIA and Daveed Diggs on the label’s twenty-year anniversary comp last year, SHADI is setting out on his own with his debut full-length dropping this Friday. Sorting out the “fuck shit” of being a poor, North African/Western Asian Muslim in this stupid, stupid country, You Can’t Hear Me is a vengeful fifty-five minute Auto-Tuned mologue over drum-heavy beats and a surreal amalgamation of samples, ranging from MLK speeches to the briefly chic indie pop duo Broken Bells.
“I created this album to encapsulate how it felt to be a rapper trying to become famous on the internet, but somewhere along the way stopped giving a fuck,” SHADI says, cluing us in to the infinite scroll of samples. “You Can’t Hear Me is in a lot of ways therapy for me. The project encapsulates how it feels to want everything and to be heard by everyone, but have your reach only go so far. It represents how it feels to be alone in your mind, with all of your problems weighing on your conscience, taking every compounded thought or idea you had and pouring it into every record.”
You Can’t Hear Me is out August 2 on Deathbomb Arc. You can pre-order it here.
