Shawn Chrystopher "You, And Only You"

The uprising of young emcees who are college educated has allowed for a shift in content and image. Shawn Chrystopher is one of these artists having attended USC on a scholarship he graduate and put out his first album last year - A City With No Seasons. That project caught my ear thanks to his carefree attitude and desire to remember what it was like to be a kid and have fun.

I just downloaded his latest project You And Only You and it’s feeling just as good. His carefree attitude seems to be tempered with some reality this time out. He opens the album with a strong a cappella addressing he and his moms relationship, making money, chasing dreams and working in this industry.



But not all is so heavy. The lead single for which he shot a video for, “Catch Me If You Can”, is a great shot at the haters who want to bring him down. Sometimes he gets like Drake and tries to analyze his fame - it’s interesting to hear someone who isn’t famous yet saying “I don’t want to be famous cause fame just aint right.” When Drake does this it seems as though he is asking for pity or sympathy - hard to give to someone who runs with the Young Money crew. Shawn on the other hand pulls off the struggling artist who needs to come to terms with his public presence.

In the liner notes to this release he includes a statement that says “Constantly challenge the listener to think outside the box. No flow is the same.” He does change it up more than some, but I’m not sure he is always completely different. Sometimes he pulls off a nice sing song flow, he can’t carry much of a note but he flows out of it smoothly and succinctly.

Chrys and some homies of his handle the production, which never recalls a West coast sound, isn’t really boom bap. It does feature some celebratory sounds, some minimal drum sounds, but throughout it’s original and head nodding just how hiphop should be!

Download for free or purchase a physical copy at Shawn Chrystopher’s spot.