SHAIM Is Feeling “Actif”
Fresh out of Lausanne comes a new album from the French-Swiss rapper SHAIM. Entitled “Actif” it was released last month by the artist’s long-term home, ZRO21 Records. Alongside label founder Santo, with whom he has released several albums and singles as a shared enterprise, SHAIM is one of the most important and original voices of the vibrant French-Swiss hip-hop scene. Possessed by a remarkable work ethic, “Actif” is his fourth full-length solo album since 2023.
Using monolithic and mostly laid-back trap beats as a starting point, SHAIM adds a number of unusual elements to his idiosyncratic brand of hip-hop, including low-down bass rumblings, smudges of electronic noise, discreet metal interventions and experimental electronic beats, not to mention the deceptively easy flow of his lyrics, plenty of melodic garnishes and also the odd singing part.
