Genre: Europop, Rap
Release Date: March 26th [DD]
Producers: DJ Cloud
Last time we saw the very versatile rap artist, Shantel Stiletto, she was on her way to the top of the rising hip hop market in the industry that is almost two years in the past. She released two top 10 singles: Aint A Contest which reached #8 on the top 20, but the R&B/Rap driven song 'Stiletto Music' ft singer Chloe is what made her known on a greater market. Since the release of the song however, the 'on fire' Shantel was scheduled to release her debut album "Not Just A Pretty Face" exactly one year ago from today. But for some reason contractual issues plagued the rap star and she left her then label 'Monk On Fire Music' and since had not been heard throughout the entire 2011.
Today, we get some good news, Shantel Stiletto is back. But in a way we might have not expected her to come back in, not saying its a bad or anything, just surprising.
There's no lie that club/dance music is on the rise, with artists such as Buzz&Hype, Cinzia Ricci, Electrodeath, and others dominating the airwaves, and the genre of pop always reigning high, rock is also doing strong, but hip hop? Hip Hop has been stalling for a long time now. Artist who come in as Hip Hop artist are often one hit wonders and are looked past or have to go the extra mile to appeal to radio.
When you have Shantel Stiletto, who has faded into obscurity for one, is bad, and then being a hip hop artist adds to the chances of her music doing well this time around even bleaker, so what does she have to do?
Y.O.L.O (You Only Live Once) is the new single by the returning Shantel Stiletto as she looks to bring eyes on her and it looks as if she got no other then DJ Cloud to help her do that. Cloud, is known for being behind the production, business partnership and disk jockeying with Cinzia Ricci as the duo has shot up the charts throughout 2011 as well as 2012, so it looks as no surprise for an artist to try and snap up DJ Cloud for a production number, but Shantel Stiletto?
It's obvious that the rap star is trying to bring in a mainstream audience and appeal as it is hard to do so as a returning hip hop artist, and especially when your name isn't big enough to push the genre, so bring in a mainstream audience, then maybe bounce back ? It sounds easy but will this work? Or is this the new Shantel Stiletto?
The track starts off with a very soft and sweet acoustic guitar riffs, the riffs continue and already if your expecting a hip hop banger then you should turn around now. Shantel then bursts onto the song over the riffs, as she starts rapping quick paced with the flow we missed so much. Although it may not be on a hip hop track, she has a refreshing tone to her rapping style as she continues rapping about living only once and until the fullest with no regrets, as a glitzy and lip smacking beat adds on with her rapping as well as harmonizing the end of every verse, with her soothing voice, which some have matched with her very good rapping skills.
Although this isn't the song for her rap skills to shine as the topic is very general, the pop star in her sure does.
The already catchy beat is then brought to new heights as the signature DJ Cloud buildup is then heart, Shantel then goes onto full on singing with the uplifting vibe of the buildup is heard. She sings: YOLO! You Only Live Once| Drink Up, Let's Have Some Fun| Smoke A Bl*nt, We Aint High Enough| Let Me Hear You Sing Along she then repeats the hook as the buildup gets stronger and Shantel's voice gets bigger and before the songs break, DJ Cloud adds in, You Better Live This MothaF*cka Up and the song breaks into an astonishing twisting, corkscrewed-riff of a chorus that is undeniably catchy as they both say "You Better Live This Mothaf*cka Up" with the pounding bassline and backing beat that would get any club jumping.
The song slows back down going to the next verse of the track with Shantel rapping about living care free, whether its drinking the night away, dancing the night away, charging your parent's credit cards (or your own) till its empty or just chillen out with friends. The song picks up again with its signature hook: YOLO! You Only Live Once| Drink Up, Let's Have Some Fun| Smoke A Bl*nt, We Aint High Enough| Let Me Hear You Sing Along as she sings it twice with the pulsating and rising beats as it once again breaks into the europhuric and relentless beat with this time, just DJ Cloud saying 'You Better Live This MothaF*cka Up and out of no where comes Shantel with her snarling flow in the sharp tongued rap 'These b*tches thought I was gone, Yall really thought I was gone| I think I was gone, just drinking on that Patron| Back on the scene, the #1 rap queen| I think Imma kill, even on the pop scene| YOLO, YOLO, let's lose control-o| Control-o, Control-o, Shantel Is dolo. After that is said, the song goes into the hook beat with the uplifting vibe we heard earlier in the song and breaks into the chorus one final time, this one being stronger then the others as the strong pounding tune slams onto an end.
With the help of DJ Cloud, who clearly has tried to make the song sound less like Cinzia and more of a Europop/rap concoction, could Shantel get back on the scene in this attempt at bouncing to a mainstream market... with the carefree and uplifting Y.o.l.o? Or is it desperate a failed attempt at scoring a hit? You tell us here!
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