“What is coming is a worldwide takeover “, announces Nicholas Craven with a seriousness and an insurance which are not in doubt.
Extract of Respectfullyby Mike Shabb (prod. Nicholas Craven)
The goal (to conquer the world) is ambitious, but what he has accomplished in just under 10 years shows that he is on the right track. In addition to having produced complete albums of rappers underground respected Americans such as Ransom, Boldy James and Tha God Fahim, he did the same for Akhenaton, of the legendary group IAM, and launched a solo trilogy, Craven Non which we can hear among others Roc Marciano, Westside Gunn and Styles P.
He also designed the beat of the room Mozambican Drill, by Mach-Hommy, which has nearly 3 million streams on Spotify. It is also with the rapper of Haitian origin that Craven recently met Jay-Z, in Los Angeles. Involuntarily, the latter contributed in part to the notoriety of the Quebecer at home. “At the end of 2020, Jay-Z put me on his list of the best songs of the year for Squeaky Hinge, from Mach-Hommy, says the producer from Gatineau. I was a little known in the United States, but nobody knew me in Montreal. Being on this list changed that. So in 2021, I decided that would be the year I was going to focus on Montreal. »
PHOTO FROM INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @NICHOLASCRAVEN819
Nicholas Craven (center) with Jay-Z (right)
Although he claims to have talked to all members of the local hip-hop community during this year, most encounters have not been successful. One of them, however, allowed him to meet Mike Shabb, who raps in English.
As soon as I heard what he was doing, I encouraged him to continue in that direction. Afterwards, he started making the best music in hip-hop in Canada. For me, it’s an honor to just work with him.
Nicholas Craven, about Mike Shabb
Mike Shabb is only 25 years old, but he has made a living from his music since he was 18. He was associated with the Make It Rain Records label, under Bonsound, then had a fair amount of success with Jeune Loup, before the assassination of the latter in August 2021. Some time before this disturbing incident, the young artist from Magog had already begun a process of reflection in relation to his career. “I was tired of doing what I was doing and I had been looking for months to reinvent myself with a sound that was my own,” Shabb says. One night I was on YouTube and I saw Dr. Birds, by Griselda. I was seized! I listened to their whole catalog and it reminded me of what I was doing when I started rapping. »
A few months later, after realizing that some of the beats by Tha God Fahim, another artist he had recently discovered, were the work of a Montrealer named Nicholas Craven, Mike Shabb, who also makes excellent beats of style drumless, contacted him on Instagram. Since then, the pair has been almost inseparable.
In the industry, if you’re talking about Craven, you’re probably going to be talking about Shabb soon after, then if you’re talking about Shabb, you’re going to be talking about Craven 100% of the time. We introduced ourselves have a team. Everything he does affects me positively.
Mike Shabb
This first joint offering was produced entirely by Craven. “We probably listened to at least 1000 beats to finally do 6 songs, says Craven. As with other artists I often work with, I’m beginning to see the nuances and aspects of my work that he likes the most. For example, the beat of Save the Joker, I just did it for him. I found the sample then I thought, “This is for Shabb.” When he heard it, he took it without hesitation. »
“I did the song right after, confirms the MC. It’s rare that I hear a beat and I tell myself that I have to record live. »
Extract of Save the Jokerby Mike Shabb (prod. Nicholas Craven)
” powerhouse of knowledge »
In addition to finding a like-minded producer, Shabb found someone to pass on his knowledge of hip-hop. “Two of us are one power house of musical knowledge, says Shabb. My career has progressed since I listened to what he told me. I tried to make music to please the world. Him, he made me realize that the music, you make it for yourself, then if you make it for yourself, there are people who will gravitate towards it. »
” It’s a guy super talented with whom I love making music, says Craven, 30, about his friend and collaborator. He is able to bring some elements of contemporary rap and mix them with boom bap. There’s nobody doing that because there’s nobody in that scene who’s 25 years old. Nobody does that in the United States, nobody in Canada. I am witnessing the development of a real new independent artist. Everything he does, he does in his own unique way. It’s just fucking too inspiring! »
Rap
Shadow Moses
Mike Shabb & Nicholas Craven
Nicholas Craven Productions