Last week, one of Atlanta’s most promising new underground talents, Tony Shhnow, announced the arrival of the ‘Kill Streak 2’ Deluxe with a retro-themed visual for “Slow Crash.”
While he has the look and feel of an Atlanta trapper, Tony Shhnow’s patented pluggnb style, chill “offbeat” delivery and distinct charismatic vocals are far from typical — coming together to create a hugely entertaining and unique mix of styles.
His sound is a super compelling combination of old school lyricism, new school nonchalance and consistently original production that confusingly sounds fresh and nostalgic at the same time. Touting a perfectly balanced mix of jazzy old school sounds, new wave plugg beats, Kill Streak 2 contains a healthy dose of nostalgia-inducing Halo sound effects that somehow feel perfect at the heart of its paradoxically retro yet futuristic production.
“Slow Crash” is definitely one of the jazzier, classic-sounding tracks on the project. With its groovy vibe, blaring saxophone and grainy colorful visuals (directed by Kenny H), the track strongly channels a late-night commercial from the ‘80s. Simply put, the whole song is a total vibe, with Tony’s counterintuitive flow sitting perfectly over the bluesy production produced by frequent collaborator, GRIMM Doza.
One of the best things about Shhnow is his unapologetic, surprisingly articulate bars and his wild, “offbeat” and sometimes jumbled flow that always seems to un-jumble itself at just the right place. A good example of this is at the end of his middle verse on “Slow Crash,” where’s he’s got something to say and he’s going to get it off whether or not time allows:
I tell you right know if you gon’ lie you a liability
I got no time for false promises and fake penalties
I gave money and that was off sympathy
What’s in motion stays in motion and what’s not
I don’t have the energy
“Slow Crash” – Tony Shhnow
Tony Shhnow’s incredibly charismatic style is displayed in different ways all across his impressive 2021 project, Kill Streak 2 and now the deluxe. Over the last few years, Tony has proven to be one of the interesting artists in the Atlanta underground, and definitely one of the most prolific — with over 13 projects released since 2019, frequently featuring close collaborators like 10kdunkin and CashCache.
There are no signs of slowing down in 2022 either, with Tony committing to dropping an outrageous one song per week in addition to at least three new projects by summertime.
Overall, Tony Shhnow is original, compelling and a really well-executed mix of new school plugg, old school lyricism and gritty Atlanta trap. “Slow Crash” is a great example of his experimental style, but also be sure to check out some of his less sensual-sounding tracks from ‘Kill Streak 2’ like “Shooting Star”, “Dominant” and “Business in Miami.”
Check out the video for “Slow Crash” below
