Album: Shaya – Fallen Awake

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In an era where young Hip Hop artists are releasing more albums than many of their veteran counterparts have in an entire lifetime, it is refreshing to hear of an artist who has taken the time to perfect their craft, waiting for the right time to launch themselves onto the music landscape. This is certainly the case when speaking of Bay Area-bred emcee Shaya and his fiery opening salvo Fallen Awake.

The no-nonsense rapper impresses on the somewhat low-key lead single Industry Life, making up for whatever lack of showbiz pizzazz he may have with motivated delivery and sharp lyrics. Backed by a chopped-up piano loop that sounds straight out of the ragtime era, Shaya lets the world know that he is more focused on using his verbal ability for intelligent stimulation and enlightenment, rather than to express a thugged out lifestyle or drug dealing past (“Petty hustlers with a notepad, where’s the ambition?/speak for you ni**as that listen or locked in prison/pay attention, it’s cheap but I charge admission”). Thanks to the energising Blaxploitation-styled production that drives Impeccable Concepts, the opening cut is probably a tad more memorable.    

For another dose of good old fashioned Hip Hop braggadocio coupled with quick-witted verbals look no further than the closing cut Welcome. You can’t go wrong with the tried and true combo of hard-hitting drums and jazzy horns.

The quality of production and lyrics certainly doesn’t falter throughout Fallen Awake, as is illustrated on cuts like Is It Life (Obvious) and the aforementioned Welcome. At the same time though, the album does occasionally linger into background music territory, lacking innovation and variation to make it stand-out (tracks such as Sleepers Anthem); a fate that many of his independent counterparts have gone through or are experiencing. Unlike major label artists who have the luxury of big name producers and guests to hide behind when they are lacking creativity, indie artists are left in a more bare creative drift.

Despite a sluggish mid-section, Fallen Awake picks up steam towards the final lap, particularly on the vibrant boom-bap flavour of Thinking Cap, a positively-inclined track where Shaya celebrates having clarity in his life, confidently spitting: “pitchers on the corner is a daily routine/most them be under 20 ‘cause they’re hungry for the green/now I’m playing for my daughters, if the lord could only see/all three are in my heart, just another part of me.” Another stand-out is the intoxicating soul of Take a Ride, which provides a high for the listeners without the use of illegal substances.

Although not an absolutely stellar debut, Shaya proves to be a more than capable host throughout Fallen Awake. More adventurous production and subject matter (as opposed to battle rhymes and standard anti-mainstream fare) would benefit Shaya’s next project, helping to leave a more lasting impression on listeners.

Available through Interdependent Media