Sy ShacklefordHailing from southern Virginia, Shane Dollar is a triple-threat hip-hop artist: He DJs. He produces. And he raps. Though he didn’t get to where he is overnight, his latest full-length LP shows his versatility in how he seamlessly shifts between all three roles. Though clearly the curator, “From the Producer’s Desk” isn’t just Shane calling in a bunch of rappers to spit over his beats. He gets in on the fun too. The line-up of rappers he amassed for this endeavor were a mix of pleasant surprises and throwbacks who still can spit, though I haven’t heard them in many years. Though technically down south, Shane’s beats are rooted in an east coast aesthetic: Forceful drums, dense loops, layered sounds, and record scratching. To fans who enjoy heavy bars over heavy underground production, this is for you.
Shane himself kicks things off in the intro, showcasing two out of three of his hip-hop aptitudes. As an emcee, Shane has flow, good delivery, and turns insights of his own life into some impressive polysyllabic rhyme schemes. The beat is comprised of dusty, low-key percussions and soulful vocals. From there, we arrive at “Good Ol Days”, featuring Sadat X. Over melancholic piano keys and wistful female’s vocals, the raps from Sadat are nostalgic and questioning his place in the current state of hip-hop. Shane’s verse is sharper and while just as nostalgic, his tone is more optimistic. Outsidaz member Pacewon lends his gritty vocals to “Built On Bars” as Shane takes the hook duties before getting to his own verse. Chicago native 4-Ize makes an appearance on the jazzy and creatively titled “Caviar Pancakes”. 4-Ize isn’t lacking in multis and pop culture metaphors and he raps them almost effortlessly. Shane comes in almost equal measure as they both call out the fakes:
Queensbridge emcee Nature grabs the mic on “Under Fire”, rapping with the same intensity he had on “Banned From TV” as he spits “Young niggas take notes / How the fuck he so good? Why the fuck he ain’t blow? / Ain’t no way to stop him, ‘bout to call another play coach / Diamonds on my fingers, I’m remindin’ them of Thanos.” Former D-Block affiliate J-Hood appears on the piano-driven “Pressure”, with the bass and kickdrums turned up to “menacing”. He and Shane rap braggadocious rhymes with the latter going first. J-Hood hasn’t lost his passion and his verse indicates the D-Block dropped the ball with him. “Don’t Bite” features Staten Island’s JoJo Pellegrino over Shane’s hard-hitting echoing snares, record scratching, and keyboard loops. “Mash Out” is a standout posse cut featuring five emcees: Copywrite, Tres G, Ben Damon, Gungho Camacho, & Shane. The beat on this one BUMPS, a certified head-nodder. The lyricism warrants multiple rewinds as it’s punchlines galore, but of all of them? It’s Copywrite whose verse is the best, he set the tone as he went first with relentless punches. Also, he’s now officially the first emcee who rhymed Kelsey Grammar with Chelsea Handler:
“Better Where I’m Going” features Mickey Factz and has a certain polish to the production with the smooth sounds of the drums, keys, and horn samples. Given the singing (courtesy of Rell Gaddis), the domestic subject matter, and the emotion-evoking beat, “Responsibility” is Shane’s ode to family and would definitely have a buzz in certain circles. “A Little Longer” is another of Shane’s solo tracks with a crooning singer, Danny Boy Steward in this case. Shane shows vulnerability in his verse as a son who misses his father. Joe Mafia provides an assist on “The Strong Ones”, with both emcees rapping about the stoicism that men are forced to show due to societal expectations. The playful boom-bap and Crank Lucas’s lyrics on “Circus Clowns” are laced with the humor with which he sometimes satirizes rappers and rap conventions. The bonus track album closer “Up Late” features Project Pat, Dromah, Rich Krk & Gungho Camacho. Over a string sample with 808 trap snares, each emcee raps about their nocturnal activities. In conclusion, the lyricism and beats on “From the Producer’s Desk” caters to hip-hop fans who enjoy replay value, with Shane Dollar’s multifaceted involvement taking on a hip-hop equivalent of the Hair Club for Men’s slogan: “I’m not only the Hair Club president, but I’m also a client.“