Former Huntington, West Virginia rapper Shelem is back with a brand new album titled “Play It Safe.” Amassing nearly 3,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and over 136,000 streams on his hit single “Suga Wata,” Shelem is a regional celebrity in more ways than one. Currently residing in the Charleston area, Shelem is civil engineer specializing in wastewater management, and his double life is both impressive and heroic.
“Take Time” starts with a funky bassline and rapped lines such as “There he go, homegrown hero, repping that 3-0-4 bro he dope, ” and “About as ubiquitous as the pepperoni roll,” paying homage to the signature dish of his home state. A nice backbeat comes in and gives us an island vibe while Shelem raps about his successes in both the music industry and his white collar life, claiming “When I get my shot I know I’m gonna blow.” The second verse mentions his progression from being afraid to perform his first show to breaking through the things that didn’t break him and becoming a bona fide performer.
Crowd noise fills the mix, and a vocal sample repeats in the background of “Dirt.” Shelem mentions unpacking his problems as a young Black man in a West Virginia city, among other things, including his success in finding a shrink and feeling great about it. A powerful hook exclaims “I got to stop all the fuckery,” and the project so far is wildly cohesive with its poppy overtones.
“Play It Safe” features a folksy acoustic guitar beat starts while Shelem raps “I ain’t ever given up in my life,” celebrating his triumphs and perseverance while also recognizing his indecisive nature. More tropical vibes shine through in this song as we return to a hook about never giving up. Shelem decides that he is going to play it safe. The line “it sounds so risky how to give my all to a world that don’t get me” is a line with a deeper meaning than I or much of my readership can understand, yet it’s still so relatable and will surely resonate deeply with the listener.
Next we get a bona fide ballad with “Catch Me,” percussing a very catchy drum beat and heavily reverbed vocals. “I’m not gon’ trip and fall for you if you won’t catch me,” pleads Shelem to his lover. A heartfelt track, I think this one sort of messed with the flow of the album, and we head right back into an upbeat track titled “Wari,” with one of the catchiest hooks of the year.
“Mon Ami” comes forward with a kick-heavy beat and some nice light snaps while Shelem raps about his perspective on human sexuality and a relationship that he is in. We end the song with a nice saxophone solo. Very jazzy, very cool.
“Suga Wata” is the lead single of the album and by far the most popular track on Spotify with 136,000 streams as of the writing of this article. Shelem raps about a girl that’s sending him signs, and he proclaims that he “tastes like suga wata.” He urges her to lose her control and have some until she becomes addicted. It is clear that Shelem basks in his star-studded hedonism.
“Call Me Crazy” hits hard with some interesting sounds surpassing my knowledge of musical instruments. Shelem raps “Call me crazy but I love it,” referring to his lover whom he is “crazy about.” We get a sung feature from a female vocalist, with lyrics about putting himself in her shoes and how “all I do is think of you.” A foreign-language lyric completes the narrative being put forward by the singer, and Shelem returns with his hook.
In “Courageous,” we get that signature Shelem bass as he raps “I think my boss knows I’m lazy, I know my boo thinks I’m shady,” and that when the world knows he’s crazy they feel that they can relate to it. Shelem claims that he trades his flaws for applause, before coming in hot with a verse about airing out his dirty laundry for the public and how his hairline is receding. In the second verse, Shelem reflects on his history with anxiety and being afraid of the dark, as well as the stutter he developed at four years old. “God bless anyone who’s ever been caught in my mess,” is a line that I heavily relate to.
In “Beggars Can’t Be Choosers,” Shelem raps about his mother telling him that anything he wants is in arms reach (assuming that his arms are pretty long). He reflects on other things his mother told him, such as the idea that beggars can’t be choosers. Shelem is happy about the successes in his life, showing himself to be living proof that one can achieve their wildest dreams.
“Funeral” opens up with a horn and bell combination, while we get probably the closest thing to a traditional hip hop beat, rapping about how he wants to die mid-laugh, not being dead yet, and how his friends and fans shouldn’t cry when he dies. “I been watering my yard and the grass ain’t never been so clean,” is a refreshing take on a musician actively taking care of their mental health. After a song that I feel went on just a little bit too long, the song and album end with a little bass solo.
“Play It Safe” by Shelem could be a landmark release in the West Virginia music scene. Its blending of Afrobeats and traditional hip hop is truly impressive for an artist coming from the mountains of Appalachia, and Shelem’s introspective and borderline wild and wonderful lyrics are as thought-provoking as they are catchy. While sonically a cohesive project, I do feel that the album could’ve introduced more variety to the songs. As a whole, the collection of songs can sound very similar to listen to back-to-back, but as individual pieces of music I think the songs serve their purpose well and could each see their own successes. I could see multiple songs from this album reaching massive mainstream appeal, and it feels like the album was designed to be a collection of pop hits.
“Play It Safe” is an album that showcases Shelem’s versatility and undeniable talent, proving that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.