Shabir Karim, best known as Karim, is an Afghan-American artist from the “Middle East Side” of Queens, NY.  He first rapped his way into the scene in 2013, with a cleverly titled mixtape, Metropolitics, produced solely by his brother Yaser.

He’s back with a vengeance this summer, dropping the cinematic visuals for his single “Melo,” telling the story of a young man on his grind.  “Melo” is produced by South Korean producer Gaka, aka GakaOnTrap, and is a single from Karim’s currently untitled upcoming mixtape.  The Matthew Alvero directed visuals put an emphasis on the hustle:  he starts off pushing a bike, and transitions to flossing in a Jeep; rich symbolism that evidences Karim’s “by any means necessary” philosophy.

The currently unnamed mixtape promises to be a banger, with appearances from Sir Michael Rocks and others.  Production is handled by Queens producers and members of the Gritty Committee entourage, Yaser Laurent, and Offy, South Korea’s GakaOnTrap, Philly producer K.RICH of DUMPERZ, and a few other affiliates.  The project ranges from richly detailed East Coast trap joints to ambient synths and jazzy blues influenced tracks.

Like we see with “Melo,” Karim draws parallels to NBA players, labeling himself as a “First Round Pick” in the rap game.  He’s hoping to leave his mark this coming year and become one of XXL’s Freshman in 2017.

You can catch Karim opening for renowned artist Joey Fatts on his “I’ll Call You Tomorrow” tour on 7/11 in New York at Webster Hall, and on 7/13 in Philly at Voltage Lounge.  In the meantime, peep the visual above and feel free to give us your thoughts.

The post #PeepTheVisual: Karim “Melo” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

It’s always good to see two local heavyweights on the rise come together, and even better when the project they produce is replay worthy. Such is the case for “Goodfellaz”, the track by Queen’s emcee, Karim, for his tentative mixtape Maximum Carnage. The song title, of course is a nod to all things Cosa Nostra, as Karim’s line states, “Cooking chicken parmigiana/I’m a f*cking Don/Young Vito Corleone.” C Black of 821 (Lobby Challenge) is featured with a verse that goes hard and a memorable assistance on the hook.

Peep the visual below and let us know if you’re rockin with it.

The post New Music: Karim – ‘Goodfellaz’ Feat. C Black (Prod. by Yaser) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.