Palestinian Boom-Bap Rapper BiGSaM Looks to the Old School with New Single ‘Shammir’

Coming through with nothing but hard-hitting bars and no semblance of a chorus or intention of pop-appeal, ‘Shammir’ directly contrasts BiGSaM’s 2020 album Kazab, which focused on more singer-songwriter/rock infused production and catchy hooks. Thematically, the track is much more in line with the rapper’s 2019 hardbody-rap LP, ARRAM, which featured production by fellow boom-bap aficionados Bu Kulthoum and Hamorabi. <iframe width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UndIqSlBXVE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

BiGSaM’s vocals are by far the biggest draw to the track; expansive wordplay and constantly shifting flows makes ‘Shammir’ an adventurous listen, where one never knows what lyrical direction the MC will travel to next. However, on the instrumental side of things, the mix comes across as muddy, and the thick sub-bass drowns out most of the melodic subtleties of the beat. Don’t get us wrong, the song sounds ‘fine’ when listened through laptop or phone speakers, but when played in a car or using headphones, the sub-bass drowns out the intricate pianos and pulsating synthesisers that make up the melodic heart of ‘Shammir’. All in all, though, consider ‘Shammir’ a fine return to form for BiGSaM.

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