Critical Thot: A POW-Exclusive Mix From sha ray and DJ Haram
On the occasion of their collaborative album, the duo shares music that inspired the LP.
It’s ironic that Critical Thot was recorded remotely—on opposite sides of the continent, in fact—because each artist’s contribution seems to burrow so deeply into the other’s. The production, fine-tuned in Brooklyn by DJ Haram, is thunderous yet light on its feet; it’s technically dazzling on close study, but you can imagine it being just as mesmerizing on the most bludgeoning, least forgiving speaker system, or rattling the chassis of a passing car. Meanwhile, in the Bay, sha ray cased those beats like a cat burglar, poking around for openings and then moving without hesitation. On “Boudoir,” sha ray’s vocals themselves act as a kick drum; a cymbal crash on “Elixir” seems to coax along the vocals like a matador’s cape.
While Critical Thot, which was released last week by Backwoodz Studioz, is technically sha ray’s debut album, it reveals a rapper so expert as to have moved beyond the need to demonstrate technique for its own sake—each choice is in service of theme and rhythm.
To mark the album’s release, DJ Haram and sha ray have very kindly created a 45-minute mix exclusively for POW. Mixed by Haram and curated one-third by her and two-thirds by sha ray, it’s a collection of music that inspired and echoes Critical Thot, hypnotic until it decides to shake you awake.