King Shampz is a Philadelphia rapper and the CEO of his own record label, Dead Wrong Records. Alongside his brother Azzan, he and Shampz have been putting out music for years, with a new project called Rise of Corleone releasing soon.
On the project, Shampz said: "It’s going to be a monster. You’ll be hearing something that you’ve never heard before, and I don’t mean that in a braggadocious way. It has everything you are looking for if you have an appreciation for music of any genre. Expect dope bars, great hooks and production, and creativity. This is going to be one of the greatest pieces of art this decade. I’m super excited to present my project to the world and land myself on the list as being one of the greatest artists of my era."
Shampz went on: "Our sound is a very unique one. We have listened to, studied, and have a ton of respect for all regions of hip hop, and I believe it reflects in our music. We’re very much influenced by the greats of hip hop’s golden era. In a nutshell, we have a sound that is grimy yet lit; gangsta yet flashy; old mixed with new. We believe in originality at Dead Wrong Records."
He went on to discuss the name of the new project: "The name, Rise of Corleone, derives from our neighbourhood in West Philly and our love for gangster cinema. This particular record is a cinematic experience; the rise of a new sound."
While only Shampz and Azzan will be involved in Rise of Corleone, a host of artists are affiliated with Dead Wrong Records. "Our label consists of Blak, Radiio Rah, Frio, and some really dope producers. All the artists in our roster at this point are people we went to school with or met through networking. These talented folks have the same musical vision as we do."
Shampz spoke about the experience owning a label: "It’s very challenging, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love to develop talent and help artists reach new levels in their careers. Me and Azzan have established a winning infrastructure that will not only bring hip hop back, but every genre that has been lacking in dope content. To keep it simple, I love what I do."
Dead Wrong Records consists primarily of hip hop artists, but that may change for the label in future. He said:
"I’m a fan of all music from Jimi Hendrix to John Coltrane to Led Zeppelin. I want us to bring back all those genres that have lost their flare, such as R&B, pop, and rock."
King Shampz and Azzan have wanted to own their own label since they were children. Shampz said: "We idolised music moguls like Puff Daddy and Suge Knight. We saw the impact they had on our culture and immediately wanted to follow suit. Our goal is not only to be the best hip hop label in the game, but to be the best label, period. We feel we can compete with the majors by flooding in dope artists from every genre."
Shampz added: "I truly believe that, with the internet, big stars are lying in wait to be discovered, and we are looking for them. Dead Wrong Records is the new wave – believe that."