Sha Prince

Branded to look as good as anything on the market, Sha Prince's first solo project outside the Antiheroes umbrella goes beyond the obvious to tackle some intensely deep themes, such as love, commitment and sanity. Outwardly, the Bowmanville, ON native is having a hell of a time rapping around interviews and clips with famous serial killers, likening the destructiveness of rap (and art) to murder. Old school-inspired jams "Perception of Insanity" and "Exploit My Life," featuring NYC underground journeyman Skyzoo and Flex (of the Antiheroes), compare in sound to tracks you'd hear on a Statik Selektah tape. The latter begins with a funny clip of the Kanye paparazzi spaz-out, and has MCs Sha, Skyzoo and Flex spitting about the red carpet. Sha and Flex rhyme with conviction regarding their hunger in the game, whereas Skyzoo's established enough that he'd prefer to remain in the shadows. What's most critical about Latex & Perfume, however, manifests itself on jams like "Replace Me," which is more up-tempo and EDM-inspired. Beyond his double-timed flow and infectious energy, Sha reveals something deeper that cuts to the heart of the project. "I'm wondering if I can ever get out the love and flesh of a Goddess, maybe the devil," he spits, as if his love is so crazy it might actually be shameful. Once Sha buries his doubt (and any intangibles in his writing), the ghouls, ghost and demons will likely drift away.