Via HHC!

Vancouver, B.C. – Shaun Boothe can really throw a journalist off her game.  Not only did he begin the interview by questioning me, but he managed to call my bullshit on at least a couple of occasions: he’s disconcertingly genuine and armed with a wisdom that brings the ivory tower to the streets. Shaun’s history fits the traditional rap narrative in many ways – humble beginnings, an insatiable thirst for poetry, a golden opportunity and impending success – yet it’s not a cliche.  Writing love poems for girls on the playground soon turned to winning MuchMusic’s temp contest, opening up the music industry and causing Shaun’s path to veer from the academics of philosophy and psychology.

Shaun’s tagline is Hip-Hop in 3D, a maxim which can be interpreted a couple different ways.  For one, he’s modern, a little off-colour, and right in front of you.  His myspace header offers up the x-ray specs of a hip-hop visionary, claiming “you’ll need these to see me,” hinting from the start that there’s a depth to his art.  His performances are very interactive and mix musical timelines with black history documentaries and dual personalities.  Beneath all the drama lie words of sense and storytelling.  On Queen samples he speaks of the classic poor boy, the trailing underdog, always looking up.   His “Unauthorized Biography” series of raps showcase influential people of African descent and his tongue-in-cheek critique of the media is bitingly truthful.

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