Shawny Binladen is taking no prisoners in 2023.
On April 14, the Queens native built on an already strong start to the year with WiCKMAN STiCKMAN — releasing the record amid his first national tour as a special guest on Babyface Ray and Veeze’s “Courtesy of The Mob Tour.”
While he’s long been known as NYC Drill’s king of samples, on his new tape, SB applies his devious bars and one-of-a-kind raspy flows over a range sample-less original production almost entirely produced by his go-to crew WheresTheATMat.
Cover Art by Gallery Provence
From his eyebrow-raising moniker, aggressively whispered delivery to his inexplicable wealth, Shawny Binladen is one of the most compelling characters rising out of New York City. Over the last several years, SB has built a loyal cult following that has acquired the taste for his captivating hyperstylized sound. Now, they can’t get enough of his menacing hushed tone, ruthless rapidfire bars and growing list of inside lingo — shared amongst fellow Grinch set members and sole features on the new project, Big Yaya and Four50.
Even though he stays true to his idiosyncratic signature style on WiCKMAN STiCKMAN — sounding in peak form on tracks like “Betray” and “Angel” featuring Four50 — Shawny still manages to walk listeners through a range of sounds across its 15 tracks. He skates over bouncy drums on the uncharacteristically upbeat “Hate Datt,” glides over chill piano-led production “On God,” and serves straight bars (presumably out of the Maybach… and with the underhand) on “Glorilla” and “The Reaper,” adopting a more straightforward flow that even the stingiest rap purists can get behind.
While ominous cleverly-flipped samples have become a hallmark of the Shawny Binladen sound, this time around SB-staple producers Call Up Tay, Natt Carlos and Chubbyelhefe (of WheresTheATMAt) silenced the doubters with a range of original production that hits just as hard as the sample-laden fan favorites that got him here (with assists from Stronghold, LennyBeatz, Gleesh, Northofikari, RickkRomero, Jahdagod and StuntTheProducer). And the only non-ATM production on the tape can be heard on “TLC,” produced by NYC’s other coolest production team in BoysAreRolling.
Overall, WiCKMAN STiCKMAN is another strong outing from one of NYC’s most prolific and polarizing rising stars. Not only is it an excellent showcase of Shawny’s intensely original style, it comes at the perfect time to introduce the sound of the Grinches to a wider audience as he continues to embark on his first national tour alongside Detroit frontrunners Babyface Ray and Veeze.
Listen to Shawny Binladen’s ‘WiCKMAN STiCKMAN’ below
