The viral successes of Shah’s May debut single Don’t Do It Mandela and June follow-up Ridin Shotty With God generated palpable industry buzz for the Toronto rapper. His accolades range from being ranked one of Toronto’s top new artists (Top 6 From The 6ix) to being crowned one of the Top 10 Desi Rappers in the world. The early radio success of Shah’s third release, Pay Day 71, has furthered his status as an emerging hitmaker. Beyond the catchy production and punchlines that quickly attracted Shah’s loyal millennial fanbase are bars that subtly delve into social issues like the gender wage gap, police brutality, and his own fight against ISIS. The song title Pay Day 71 refers to females earning only 71% of the pay that males earn. His critically acclaimed Day of Shah audiovisual series (Pay Day 71 trailer) similarly embeds social commentary into its stunning cinematography.
The impact of Shah’s biggest influences - Tupac, Malcolm X, and Shah’s own revolutionary father - are clearly felt in his music. While Shah’s childhood mirrors the sagas of many rappers, from being expelled from school to discriminatory arrests from police, his route to stardom has been completely unorthodox. After tasting success in worlds ranging from fine art to the NFL, Shah ultimately decided to pursue music to inspire today’s youth to challenge status-quos and follow their own dreams. His philosophy of independence is also seen in Shah’s rebuffing of major label opportunities that arose after his debut music videos rapidly streamed six-figures. However, despite lacking major label financial backing, Shah has continued to provide fans with stunning videos due to the Day of Shah series attracting some of the prominent young producers, filmmakers, and fine artists from Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles. His reach has since expanded from these cities and now, with dedicated fanbases in Asia, the UK, and the Caribbean, Shah appears poised to become one of rap’s first internationally recognized independent stars.
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