Scalper is Nadeem Shafi, born and raised in East London of Pakistani descent. First seen in Aotearoa New Zealand at WOMAD 1997 as the vocalist for the British band Fun-da-mental. Now based on the wild West Coast of Auckland, having moved here in 2007. Scalper is Hip-Hop like you’ve never heard it before. Moody, gritty beats with introspective lyrics that conjure visions of epic proportions, and an electrifying live performance that demands attention.
On the new single I'm Life, he keeps to his roots. At first, the way the woodwind instruments swirl around, with creepy sounding strings and a super effective bass line, it creates an atmosphere combined with the slow tempo hip hop loop, everything feels thought out and well executed. The vocal delivery is more spoken word than rap, but that is because Scalper is wanting you to pay attention to the lyric, through his pronunciation that is methodical. As Scalper states, "This track is about Life itself speaking to oneself...A lament of the beauty and tragedy of being in life...it's a fleeting visit so if one can and is able to then shine bright in one's life and in its light."
With a prayer like chant that shows up from time to time, the track never sways from its vision. It takes the idea and fleshes it out.
Scalper is Nadeem Shafi, born and raised in East London of Pakistani descent. First seen in Aotearoa New Zealand at WOMAD 1997 as the vocalist for the British band Fun-da-mental. Now based on the wild West Coast of Auckland, having moved here in 2007. Scalper is Hip-Hop like you’ve never heard it before. Moody, gritty beats with introspective lyrics that conjure visions of epic proportions, and an electrifying live performance that demands attention.