Any artist can hype themselves. Instead, I chose to let people speak. Read just a few of the things people are saying about The Savage Sun, whether it be my music or my character, and draw your own conclusions:


REVIEWS

"One of the best we've ever heard". If you prefer your hip hop with some depth, some interrogative soul-searching, and most of all, some humble intelligence, you've come to the right spot. This is an MC whose approach to lyricism and beatmaking is both abstract and accessible, with a sharp focus on the subtleties of the music and the points to be made with the words. Topics includes spiritual dedications (the soft-but-firm "Requiem Aeternus"), relationships (the heart-wrenching "Tight Grip on Nothing"), and the potential trappings of the rap game (the dark bounce of "Filthy Town"). With each track's theme receiving undivided attention, the thoughts are fully fleshed out until the job is done. Using a wide variety of strings and percussion, the beats here hit hard, whether the vibe is slow and steady or decidedly upbeat, and they make solid stepping stones for the collection of infectious hooks that grace the cuts. It gets deep, but Sun's not afraid to get your head bobbin' while he's at it. (Brad/CD Baby)

Melding classical music with pulsating beats and emcee Savage Sun’s hard-hitting flow, the Missouri resident’s sound is unique and emotional. Helped along by a melancholy piano and dizzying violin work, Savage Sun is bringing the focus back to the music. With fourteen years in the game, 35 recorded songs, and eleven album features, Sun sees this as his perfect time to emerge out onto the scene with a solo album (The Art of Being Alive). Check out “Forced”. (Aylin Zafar/URB Magazine)

In an album dedicated to the memory of his father, Savage Sun takes the cerebral approach to The Art of Being Alive, unveiling a barrage on multi-layered rhymes, tantalizing beats and a few clever plays on words. The album is homage to a righteous way of living, sans (without) the preaching and the holiness one would expect from a disc that's so full of positive and radiant energy. Produced in St. Louis, recorded in Seattle, Washington and San Fran and mastered in Hollywood, Being Alive is accompanied by a well-produced cinematic video to Savage's "Tight Grip On Nothing." The album and related video should have Savage's pops – Kenneth Schamber – smiling heavenly down on his offspring, knowing his boy done good. (Toriano L. Porter/Contributor/Inbox Magazine)

You can't say it's only about the commercialism, the cribs and the money. You can't say rappers are teenage thugs lacking any real talent. You can't - because rappers such as Stockton's The Savage Sun will be there to prove you wrong. The album brings together complex, layered beats with the rapper's intense delivery and often-introspective lyrics. (Ian Hill/Columnist/Stockton Record & 209VIBE)

The album is a reflection of his experiences on gang-filled streets and tries to make sense of the social injustices he's witnessed first-hand. But don't think this album is just another hip-hop album that talks about a hard-knock life. Schamber takes a chance with everything on his album. His vocals are gritty, but not so granular that it implies he's bitter. His mixes are a combination of R&B, jazz, and Southeastern influence. Lyrically, he tells it like it is without being too abrasive. Painting a picture with as little words as possible, Schamber rises above mediocrity on his first album. (Bethany Lee/Columnist/Tri-City Herald & Atomic Town)

The word diversity comes to mind as I try to put words to this powerful body of work from the Savage Sun. Years in the making, this collection of soul script has been worth the wait. The tougher the path, the stronger the individual and the Savage Sun lays down the hard won wisdom from a life well lived. The tracks range from soul soothing to heart gripping and ass kicking as the cd swings through the seasons. T