Tony Shhnow continues to cement his place as an Atlanta underground legend. Sharing a new album dedicated to the signature new wave sound he played a key role in pioneering, Plug Motivation is the epitome of Shhnow’s serene soundscape.
Known for his prolific output and intensely charismatic personality, Tony has undoubtedly become one of the central stars to rise out of Atlanta’s bustling underground — exporting its distinct plugg sound to the masses. With production from some of the subgenre’s most important producers in Cash Cache, Popstar Benny, StupidXool and the pluggfather himself, MexikoDro, Plug Motivation is exactly what this new project provides.
Tony Shhnow is an independent powerhouse and one-of-a-kind character — combining the new school plugg wave with the feel of an old school Atlanta trapstar. The cover art of his new, strictly plugg project is deceptively profound, both an ode to Jeezy’s classic Thug Motivation 101 album and a statement on his distinctly trap-infused approach to the chilled-out, lo-fi subgenre explored in Soundcloud’s recent documentary, SCENES: Plugg.
Across his new project, Tony Shhnow glides over 23 different exclusively plugg beats produced by the scene’s most prominent producers. Contrasting his confident, wordy flow and irreverent slick-talking bars with the mellow production of Atlanta’s underground — which has provided the backdrop for many of the city’s biggest cult hits in recent years — its newly-classic sound is the foundation of Tony’s rise through the local scene and into the national consciousness. While the unorthodox sub-genre is certainly an acquired taste, Plug Motivation clears up any doubt that Tony is one of its most prolific pioneers.
Tony set the stage for the new project with singles “Life N Hard Times” and “Can’t Say I’m Broke”, and rung in its release with an icy music video for “Trust.” It also comes off the heels of his notable collaboration with Brent Faiyaz, remixing “Don’t Look At Numbers” off his latest project Reflexions.
While the lengthy project full of mostly solo tracks sees Tony front-and-center, he’s joined by a few select features. Fans of the ATL underground should recognize familiar faces like Bear1Boss on “Paper Trail” — another young rising star with his own signature take on the plugg sound — as well as East Atlanta’s ManMan Savage. Jacksonville’s Seddy Hendrinx appears on “Don’t Know” to add his signature ‘Rhythm & Gangster’ flair; not to forget his right-hand-man SB Nunkk, Diego Money, and Darkside Mally to round out the strictly Southern feature list.
Overall, Plug Motivation feels like an ode to the signature style that’s fueled his ascent, a victory lap since conquering Atlanta’s underground and a precursor to the inevitable mainstream success of Tony Shhnow.
Listen to Tony Shhnow’s Plug Motivation below
