Quality Hip-Hop is Alive and Well in the Desert
By Esther Sanchez
Months ago, I was with my friend, Paul Gore, aka DJ Smoke1 en route to a photo-shoot when he said he wanted me to hear something and threw in a CD. As Smoke predicted in his own mind, I liked what I heard. Gore: “I have been hit up to work with rappers in the past, but if I was going to invest in this kind of partnership it was going to be with someone who can really write.” Having found that poetic emcee, LnS was born.
Coachella Valley Native, Larry Shaw has been involved in the desert music scene since around the year 2000 and has partnered with local hip-hop pioneers such as the desert’s own, Karmic Basis. Considering himself as part of the 2nd generation of hip-hop artists in the valley, he remembers being in his teens and idolizing local DJs and Emcees from the legendary Intl. Crew such as the now, world-renowned, DJ Day. Shaw: “Yeah, I ended up at some of those parties back in the day when they were battling even though I was too young to be there.”
As a musician and hip hop fan, LnS is definitely one of my favorite local acts and without a doubt, unsung and underrated, even though they are generally known and respected among local hip-hop artists. This is likely due to the fact that neither Shaw nor Gore, are the kind of guys to toot their own horns. On the contrary, they are both the humblest of dudes…….humble dudes aren’t always the best at self-promotion. But, if you take a moment to give them a listen…..the lyrics, the beats, the production are all definitely on a standard that deserve praise and attention on a level of intellectual critique. Also……you can shake your ass to it. Larry Shaw did not become the number 1 local artist on reverbnation for nothing. I was turned on to Larry as a rapper from lyrics like,
“Hipster chicks housing black vocab like its fostered.
The only black dude in the party and its awkward.
White girls dropping the N bomb I just laugh at it.
Mess around and confront her she choke up and get asthmatic.”
Shaw: “Every artist has their strengths and weaknesses. Some are great live performers. Others record great tracks. My strong-suit is probably writing and that’s definitely what I want to be known for.” Father to a 6 year-old daughter, Shaw’s writing skills are manifested in the fact that he rarely curses or uses obvious profanity in his lyrics, making his music something his daughter can listen to. Shaw: “It’s not that I don’t ever swear. It’s not very often in my lyrics. I definitely include plenty of adult content but I prefer to work in metaphors.”
Shaw has also chosen to work with some fantastic local artists in some uber-groovy collaborations. I recently heard a single called, “Brujaria,” with a sweet hook sung by none other than CV Weekly’s own, Monica Morones, AKA Cakes. While writing this article he sent me some tracks he recorded with angelic, local songstress, Portia Camille that I adored. Shaw: “In early 2016 we will be releasing an EP of some soul/hiphop tracks including Ms. Camille that will be taking me back to my roots in this genre.”
Check out LnS this Friday, Dec. 11th at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert along with local favorites Techno Hillbillies and Right On! Right On!
Photos By Karmes Neazer
