“Shifty.†Who is Shifty? What is Shifty? The man
behind the mystique proclaims himself as being, “Here
to give the game what it’s been missing. Some poetic
justice.†Raised in a community where within two
blocks you can go from seeing Section 8 housing to
seeing million dollar mansions, he has fine-tuned and
honed his lyrical craftsmanship. His ability to adapt
to any life situation is perfectly expressed through
his versatility on the mic.
Motivated by his desire to provide a good life for his
daughter, Shifty intends to open the ears and eyes of
his listeners. Shifty’s influences include Malcolm X,
Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Marcus Garvey. But what sets
him apart from the rest of today’s so-called emcees is
his willingness to share his hard times with his
listeners. With an extremely unconventional delivery,
Shifty’s flow cannot be mistaken for any other.
At the same time, Shifty does not dwell solely on his
hardships and is more than happy to make music about
kicking back and enjoying himself. A powerful and
energetic performer, he has performed at several clubs
in the Chicago area including the Fifty Yard Line, the
Sphinx Café, the Red Dog, as well as the Washington
Park Afro-Caribbean Festival of Life. He has also
performed at Northern and Southern Illinois
Universities and shared the stage with Chicago rap
group “Do or Die†at Northwestern University.
After many years of recording and performing with his
rap group, the Billa Click, Shifty has recently been
putting together his debut solo album, “The Legend
Unfolds.†Its much-anticipated release is expected
this spring. He has already appeared on Heavy
Syndication’s “The Compilation Vol.1â€, Syah Cobbs’
“West End’s Finest†Mixtape. In the future, you can
expect to hear him on Heavy Syndication’s “Compilation
Vol. II†and upcoming albums by Billa Click members
Deuce and Sab’rey.
