In the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, Lane Shuler has been flying quietly under the radar—until now. The songs he’s releasing now bring a music triple-threat to the table: impeccable production, razor-sharp lyrics, and big, bold sounds.

“No Man’s Sky” is a masterclass in fast-paced hip-hop that doesn’t hold punches. It’s a bass-heavy song with cunning lyrics delivered at breakneck speed, featuring an incendiary guest verse from Semaj Nu$ense Johnson and a vocal line by much-beloved Knoxville vocalist Alonzo Rogers.

If you’re bored of SoundCloud mumblers and dorm room production, Lane Shuler’s your man. On these tracks, listeners can hear the thump of every kick drum punch and feel the rumble of every 808. Each sonic experience is intentional, even surgical. Shuler’s tracks will fit your summer banger playlist right alongside MF Doom, Aesop Rock, and Black Thought. Thematically, Shuler paints vivid and abstract pictures, exploring themes of adversity and personal-growth, as well as embracing the urgency of hustling hard to create the life you want.

Shuler also has a legacy in slam poetry, and that electric wordplay is ever-present in the lyrics. In the world of slam poets, he was at one time a rising star, appearing in the finals of both the National Poetry Slam and Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam in back-to-back years, before suffering some hearing loss in 2011, which stalled his ability to pursue both poetry performance and hip-hop. That didn’t stop him.

Shuler began rapping in high school during the “battle rap boom,” when he became drawn into the scene watching videos and listening to recordings of performances at Cincinatti’s Scribble Jam. His Ohio collaborations resulted in his first solo album, Best Way to Get There, a moody and introspective debut that offered a glimpse into what he’d later become.

He went on to join Plunderphonics along with fellow up-and-comer J. Bu$h, which led to his inclusion in Knoxville’s Good Guy Collective. At the same time, he also grew as an entrepreneur and community leader. Now he’s been involved in several successful nonprofits, and he now works with the Tennessee Innocence Project, fighting for justice for victims of wrongful conviction.

He has flourished as a solo artist. Much of the sonic intensity of Shuler’s current work is down to the masterful production of Will Johnson who, like Shuler, has somehow managed to fly under the radar for far too long. Johnson is something of a production virtuoso, a creator who is entirely control of the musical experiences he creates.

Shuler’s music is technical in a way that rappers these days tend to fear. Musically, lyrically, and in terms of production, there’s a sense of true craftsmanship, of tirelessly making incremental improvements and studying both the science and art of what makes a truly classic jam—and the results speak for themselves.

No Man’s Sky is out now- https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/laneshuler/no-mans-sky-feat-nuense--alonzo-rodgers