Denver rapper Schama Noel is trying to strike a balance between being radio-friendly and making songs that remain true to the spirit of hip-hop. He hopes his efforts are reflected on his upcoming ten-song EP, Two Can Play That Game.
“I can do some commercial pop-sounding stuff but still have this poignant lyricism,” he says. “It’s going to be a lot of me exploring different sounds.”
He expects Two Can Play That Game to premiere in July, but doesn’t have a hard release date yet. In the meantime, he’s releasing a song on Friday, March 25, to whet people’s appetites. Called “2010 Remix,” it draws inspiration from California rapper and Odd Future collective member Earl Sweatshirt’s 2021 track “2010,” and utilizes the same beat.
When he heard Sweatshirt’s track a few months ago, Noel wanted to up his own game, so he took to the studio and recorded the song. He shot an accompanying video at various Denver locations.
“When I heard that, I got really inspired to write,” he says. “[Sweatshirt] has a level of lyricism that I can appreciate, and it challenges me to up my bars. I say it in the first verse: ‘To tell you the truth, I was uninspired / Heard Earl in the booth and it lit a lightbulb.’”
Noel’s verse clocks in at a brief minute and forty seconds and eschews a chorus or clear hook. He’s been expanding his output to appeal to a variety of tastes, but it’s still important to show off one’s lyrical prowess.
“So I wanted to be like, ‘Hold on, guys — I definitely still have the best bars here,’” he says. I wanted to make sure people knew I wasn’t going all the way pop, so I felt there shouldn’t be any hook or anything. It should just be me going in and displaying my lyricism.”
Recent single “Sugar Mom” showcased a goofy, bouncy style and was made specifically for use on TikTok. Noel says it’s doing well and is the lead single off of his upcoming EP.
“Someone did a TikTok on [‘Sugar Mom’] and it got over a million views, so that was pretty exciting,” he says. “I’ve never been a TikTok person at all.”
The Haiti-born, Orlando-raised, Denver-based MC has been keeping himself busy the past few years. He writes lyrics for other rappers, has recorded a song with legendary Brooklyn MC Masta ACE and runs Twitter account @raplike, where he delivers rhymes in the styles of other rappers. Last year he released a music video that paid homage to late actor Chadwick Boseman and his role in Black Panther.
“I get more support here,” he says of his move to Denver. “There are just way more opportunities. It seems like my music fits better here. I’m trying to tap into the bigger Denver market. As far as making songs that could be played on the radio, I feel like that’s what I’m missing.”
He adds that he’d like to record radio-friendly songs without watering down his own style. He’s recorded a few tracks that he thinks are a move in that direction and could have broad appeal outside the hip-hop world. His genre-bending, lo-fi track “Sunrise” has received some airplay in the Denver area, and he’s making efforts to break out of the underground.
“I’m a good enough songwriter to create something that is interesting enough and unique and not too hip-hop to where it could be played on different stations,” he notes.
Noel also performed at the Westword Music Showcase and the Underground Music Showcase last year, and is trying to get back on the festival circuit this year.
“That was a really huge deal,” he says of the festival spots. “I’ve been thinking of ways I can enhance my performance and realizing that there’s so much more to it than just a mic and having a DJ. I want to get into live instrumentation. I’ve been mapping it all out.”
Noel strives to make fresh-sounding music, but his style and dense, thoughtful lyrics evoke golden-age hip-hop. It’s unmistakable.
“That’s the line I’m trying to walk,” he says. “Those two worlds collide: people who aren’t into hip-hop as much now because new stuff isn’t as good quality, and people who are. Just having both of those worlds, [I’m] trying to make stuff inspired by the golden era of hip-hop, but modern.”
Check out more Schama Noel on Instagram.