David Shabani

Born to Congolese parents in Paris, Shabani immigrated to Canada before launching alternative hip-hop artistry in Texas.

In an area where the music culture is expansive and rapidly accelerating, Shabani’s sound keeps pace by blending compellingly personal lyrics with high-energy backbeats that combine to work double time. The result is a product that dually satisfies the late night thrill seeker with stimulating, club pounding rhythms while still providing the idle listener with lyrics that flow in a story-like format.

Influenced by Kid Cudi, Kaytranada, Lupe Fiasco, and Childish Gambino, Shabani identifies with the outsiders of hip-hop. The independent artist has more than 50 original songs available on all major music platforms and has established a presence with performances at iconic venues across the United States and festivals including South by Southwest, ESPN X Games, and So What Music Festival alongside D Smoke, K CAMP, Trinidad James, Mac Miller, and Kanye West.

His idiosyncratic multi-city story plays out in his latest EP, Shabani’s Smooth Sounds of the Summer. With homages to his native French and Lingala, Shabani blends bouncy club beats with spacious soundscapes to let lyrics lead.