Murda Beatz: One Shot ft. Blxst and Wale
Guest hip-hop stars and a mellow groove make this a winner.
By Kerry Doole
Murda Beatz: One Shot ft. Blxst and Wale (ADA Worldwide/Warner Music Group): Ace Ontario beatmaker/DJ/producer Murda Beatz (born Shane Lee Lindstrom) continues to make major waves. He is nominated for a 2022 Grammy for Best Pop/Vocal Album with production on Ariana Grande’s Positions, and he recently signed a new distribution agreement with ADA Worldwide, Warner Music Group’s independent label and artist services arm.
His new single, One Shot, features hit rapper Wale and rising star Blxst. The two guests trade verses smoothly, while the track has a mellow R&B meets hip-hop groove, with lyrics outlining Beatz's want-list for a lover: "I need a woman with class, I need scholarship effort, I need a woman with passion, her heart into something." Sounds like a potential hit to these ears.
The track is accompanied by a music video directed by madebyJames (Snoop Dogg, Big Sean). Murda Beatz acts as a referee and the featured artists are head coaches in a competitive game of basketball. In smart product placement, mood-boosting beverage Psychedelic Water is the drink of choice for the ballers as Beatz is a co-founder of the company.
Murda Beatz is quite the entrepreneur. He recently launched his very own NFT on crypto.com that sold out in 14 minutes making him a top 5 creator on the site, he has renewed a Las Vegas residency with Tao Group, and his business also expands to a figurine collaboration with KidRobot.
Beatz has worked on over 40 Platinum and multi-Platinum singles, over 25 Billboard #1 albums, and has over 11 billion streams on songs he’s been involved with. He has DJed at major global fests, and last year he produced Chlöe’s Have Mercy and Polo G’s Rap Star, both #1 hits. Earlier credits include Drake (Nice For What), Nicki Minaj & Cardi B, Khalid, and Migos.
He has released three solo projects – 2016’s Keep God First, 2018’s Bless Yo Trap with Smokepurpp, and 2021’s Memory Lane with Shordie Shordie.
Beatz has earned plenty of press praise for his work, though we had to laugh at this quote from the New York Times: "He’s almost like an alien because his origins don’t seem to make a lot of sense. He’s from the middle of nowhere in Canada, but somehow he’s making some of the most culturally relevant music.” Fort Erie, ON, is hardly a remote Arctic outpost!
Links
Publicity: Chantilly Post, Warner Music Canada
Aya NakamuraMarion Gomez/Billboard France