Shaw Calhoune - “Fly Langston” Album Review

Released: January 27th, 2023 / February 10th, 2023 on Spotify

Big Eleanor Records

Bandcamp / Facebook / Instagram / Spotify

Shaw Calhoune has dropped one of the smoothest, most insightful collections of jazzy bliss with hard-hitting yet uplifting lyrics. Fly Langston is the latest work in the Silver Spring, MD rapper’s forward-thinking catalogue. Spanning just under 20 minutes and carrying quite the beautiful impact all throughout, today we get the pleasure of highlighting everything that makes this album something of true wonder. Pick a link above and put the album on while you read along!

Opening with “Buttoned Up”, Shaw enters onto the stage with a real ‘suit and tie’ persona conveyed lyrically and in sound. A sound and style that enriches in a way reminiscent of lighting an expensive cigar, sitting in a fancy chair looking out at the city from your penthouse-level apartment, this track is the perfect cup of coffee waking the listener up to a fresh start. Talking about the world that surrounds, community, positive outlooks, the state of affairs within society, and an endless drive to stay hungry, grow, develop, and live long and prosper – Shaw has plenty of perspective to give. Not to mention, given the features, he’s brought plenty of friends to the table to discuss these aforementioned subjects at length, as well, with the likes of Barry Marz, Sir Dominique Jordan, and Dj Skruff being featured across the album as well.

‘Shaw Calhoune is a hip hop author from Silver Spring, MD. Manufactured at The Kaleidoscope, Fly Langston is a 20 minute adaptation of community, poetry, feeling fresh, jazz, and positivity; inspired by the Harlem Renaissance.’

Carrying this mantra of flourishing and thriving, the vibes of Fly Langston remain immaculate as it progresses into what I consider are my two favorite tracks – “A House Sparrow’s Feather” and “Jazz Club Session”. With Shaw Calhoune being described as a ‘hip-hop author’, it should be no surprise his lyricism, as well as that of the featured artists heard across the album, matches as poetry and checks all the boxes of a fine sculpture of words and phrases that work together to paint pictures of a hustler’s lifestyle. The grind truly never dies, and Shaw is busy cutting gems out with each verse.

What’s interesting about “Jazz Club Session” is how Sir Dominique Jordan appears to take the spotlight for much of the track. Giving us an almost spoken-word-esque vocal performance, this little poetry sesh hits with some of my favorite lines on the album. ‘Perservering for my people with a purpose; That’s a decision.’ ‘The only person I’m beefing with is last year’s me; What’s your revolution?’ The general portrayal of a person whose focus is far and away from trivial things in life, and simply bettering themselves is a broad yet closely relatable subject matter that I think is a key factor in setting this track apart; All in all, it just further enhances some of the core messages Shaw Calhoune is conveying with his music.

During the track “Full Hunter”, Shaw has a line that goes something like ‘Make the pack last till my first name is Anderson’, which I find incredibly fitting of a note to make given the flow and general ambiance of the beat is fairly similar to something we’d hear of Anderson Paak himself. This track especially highlights some of the key meanings behind Shaw’s lyricism through Fly Langston; It’s all about building up and staying dedicated to the prize. The song pants a metaphor, by way of various similes, of a ruthless hunter that stops at nothing to gain an apex state of livelihood and recognition, so to speak. But, the songs don’t seem to be portrayed in any necessarily threatening sense, moreso a context which spells out - ‘Listen, I’m going to go somewhere with what I’m doing, and I’m not letting anything hold me back from it.’

Although the album’s instrumental energy taps into that of a ‘LoFi Beats to Chill & Study To’ type, the clear, triumphant march to endless heights is evident within the lyrics. It makes for a great contrast of calling for success and optimism in one’s self, while also creating a haze of relaxing soundwaves that ease the mind and warm the soul, even though these things go more hand-in-hand rather than in contrast. For that, I believe this makes for a splendid listen no matter how into hip-hop or anything like it you may or may not be. There’s an energy here that demands the attention of the listener.

At any rate, Shaw has revived his very own Harlem Renaissance as told through the poetic waveforms of Fly Langston. If you haven’t heard of Shaw prior to this post, you are hereby best served to go purchase the album, or stream it, at any of the links above. Don’t miss out on this dreamscape of passion and poetry. Follow Shaw on all available socials and get about the conversation he’s started of taking yourself to new planes!