Anthony "Shake" Shakir

Shake is a true record-collecting, groove-reading music head who can’t be pinned down to just one genre or groove. Being such an iconoclast can make it hard to get ahead in the music business, but that has not stopped Shake from breaking down barriers in sound. His pluralistic view of music extends from his DJ sets to his productions, having produced everything from local hip-hop acts (KOT, Scarelly M the Klout) to Urban Tribe’s Mo Wax debut. His recorded output also displays a wide range of vision, yet still portrays consistent themes of empowerment and mental agility through tough, chopped-up beats contrasted with raw beauty. Such ideas can be seen in his records released in May 2000 (all three of ‘em!): the sublime 'Songs for My Mother' on his own Frictional label; more down-tempo beats can be found on Mr. Shakir’s Beat Store on Klang; and there’s evidence of his sample plundering work on Da Sampla‘s 'Samplaholic' recently released on the Moods and Grooves label.