I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t take a lot for an artist to stand out to me and keep my attention but when it comes to Chicago based producer Shivastep, I’m all ears. Sean Nelson had my ears ringing for days last year with the release of his self titled EP and now that he’s dropped Ode To Tha Grind, my speakers have been set on full blast. I’m probably going to have a severe case of hearing loss by the time that I’m thirty but this EP just begs to be cranked up and after hearing the slick, 808 heavy, trilltastic (yes I just made that up) opener “Ode” there’s no doubt in my mind that Shivastep made sure that his latest release was one to bump whenever and wherever a good time was necessary. Nelson clearly flexes his hip hop influences on each track but he also shows a keen eye for versatility and experimentation in the process by delving into various forms of electronic based music, making Ode To Tha Grind incredibly captivating and worthy of some heavy rotation. I highly recommend grabbing a copy of the EP and you can do so now by heading over to bandcamp and paying a “name your own price”.
