August 28, 2020
Hydrophonik Records
Having just presented his first solo album "Ame Nesia", Shotto Guapo is already back. "Kushy Fine is about relaxation and letting go of our woes. This moment when one gets rid of all fictitious things, of all lies that surround us to enter a state of peaceful harmony with oneself. A moment of absolute truth, when all that matters is the natural self. Feeling good with yourself. " - Shotto Guapo Shotto Guapo is a Montreal deep-voiced rapper and lyricist of Franco-Ivorian descent. Born in 1991 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Shotto formed in the early 2000s his first music formation, Celtic, with whom he recorded his first Hip-Hop and Dancehall songs. At 14, Shotto left Cote d'Ivoire for France, where he discovered a love for French rap and punchlines. Over time, he asserted his style and enriched it with new sounds. Kery James, Blacko, NTM, 2pac, Redman & Method Man, the Marley family and The Wailers are cited as his musical references. In 2016, he moved to the Montreal metropolis, where he tried several local stages, such as La Releve se Leve presented by WordUp!, or Les Francouvertes in January 2019. Accompanied by his acolyte David Campana, they reached the semi-final round, with a performance overflowing with energy and an original and remarkable scenography. Together, they released an 8-tracks EP titled CE7TE LIFE, the same year. Positioning himself more and more on the forefront of the local rap scene, his works ended up in Spotify and Apple Music's editorial playlists, gaining recognition from local and international specialized media. Shotto Guapo is mentioned among SOCAN's "rap queb" revelations to watch closely for 2020 and won the public vote in the Best Diaspora Artist category at the Abidjan Hip Hop Awards in February the same year. Shotto is the association of hot and cold, calm while turbulent, volcanic but icy, in reference to the Japanese anime character "Shoto Todoroki". His stage name comes to him both from his passion for music and videography. Shotto means "punch" in Japanese, referring as much to his eye as a filmmaker as to his rhythmic punchline technique, which ignites self-confidence and determination in his audience. A graduate in film production, he uses his background as an asset to make his own visuals and video clips, from directing to editing, immersing us even more in his own universe. In 2019 he offered a taste of his next solo project, Ame Nesia, with catchy and punchy singles like Cendres, Yeyo, Bando, Jamais, and La Balade. He rapidly caught the attention of Montreal-based record label Hydrophonik, with which he signed early in 2020, offering promotional support for the release of the album, in June of the same year.