In a recent conversation, Sy Ari Da Kid shared that talent alone is not enough. Many gifted artists remain in the shadows. They are not lacking skill. They are lacking connections. The Last Shadow of the Shade brings their struggle to light. Not every voice in hip-hop gets the recognition it deserves. Some artists break through, while others remain in the shadows, waiting for their moment.
Hip-hop is built on lyricism, storytelling, and influence. Producers, engineers, and curators who shape an artist’s sound are often overlooked. Success is not just about talent. It depends on timing, connections, and industry support. Sy Ari Da Kid is known for introspective lyrics. He highlights the hidden contributors who shape the music industry. The Shadow of the Shade trilogy tells the stories of those fighting to be seen.
“What was the inspiration behind the name series/the album?”
Sy Ari Da Kid: “In a nutshell, the synopsis of the Shadow of the Shade means in this world, the music industry in itself – it’s got its ups and downs. (I’m referring to) the overall totality of the nature of people and how they treat people in the industry when you’re hot, you’re hot when you’re not, they don’t really know (about your gifts and talents).
There are a lot of people that are gifted and talented out there, I would say some of them aren’t being put out to the masses because they don’t have the machine that the other ones have.
They’re not in the spotlight. They’re in the shade. The shadow and the shade are like the people who are responsible for whether it be, an artist, a specific sound, or overall the sound of the game might change because of these people, those are the shadows to me, that influence all of these other kids in these genres that come to the light.
I’m going to give you an example, there’s a producer named, TM88. TM88 did a lot of things with 808 Mafia, like Southside, certain producers, and stuff like that. They changed a lot of the landscape of how beats sounded for a long time. Or Shawty Red who was responsible for the whole Trap or Die sound with Young Jeezy.
That was a big album. That was a huge album. It changed the game. It changed the world. But a lot of people in the world don’t know D Rich made a lot of those beats. He’s the shadow and the shade to me.
I feel like I have been responsible for a lot of the sounds and things in this industry that a lot of people, may not have known about. Because people don’t check for credits as much as they used to.
I used to buy albums, there was an excitement to tear the plastic out of that album and read the book. You see, okay, this producer made this, this person wrote this, but now we don’t have that anymore. They don’t even care to look.
For example, Travis Scott is one of the most influential people as far as sound and music these days, but he only has one R&B-sounding song. I wrote that song.
But you don’t really know, Travis Scott influenced you. Some people know, ’cause my credit is there on Wikipedia, but it’s like, who’s really looking at that?
The fans ain’t looking at that. That whole arena that goes and hits that mosh pit with him, they have no idea. Whether it’s a manager behind the scenes working a play, they’re a shadow in the shade.”
“How Important is Lyricism in today’s Hip-Hop?”
Sy Ari Da Kid: “You are asking somebody that was born in the Bronx. The lyricism is super important For example, Eminem gets a lot of slander now because he’s so elite with lyricism, but a lot of the culture is so upset at the context and the substance of what he’s saying. But also they’ll exclude the fact that he did have albums where he told his story.”
I think lyricism is a huge thing for me I’m not one of those that just goes off of just lyricism – I need to feel something. I need to do either two things. I need to relate to you or I need you to explain something to me that I’ve never seen smelled touched or tasted.
That’s a big thing for me and that’s where you’ll get the comparison from. (Personally,) I don’t like Eminem, I like Jadakiss, because you feel like you are there when you listen to him or Scarface, they’re walking you literally through their senses. Word for word.
Eminem is still lyricism, but it’s a different world. Right, right. That, but that’s his lyricism. That’s his life, that’s his imagination. So it all coincides, and lyricism to me is super important because (as a lyricist) we mean what we say and represent what we say.”
“Who would you do a collab album with?
Sy Ari Da Kid: “I’ll give you two artists within reach whom I’d collaborate with on an album. I honestly would do a whole body of work with Benny the Butcher or Cyhi the Prince. And the reason why I want to do it is the elite lyricism. But not just the elite lyricism, I feel like I excel in the area where I’m helping them with a full body of work, the hooks, and the blending of their lyricism with song-making. I feel like if I did one with either of them, it would be a classic.
Someone that I would do a song or album that I haven’t met yet is Common. Besides Jay Z, he has hands down the best longevity. His voice and how he creates his music would be perfect for a soulful hip-hop album. He’s sounded good for almost 30 years. Common has like the best hip hop voice ever.”
“Is the Northside of Atlanta’s Music Scene Slept on?”
Sy Ari Da Kid: “Yeah, it’s super slept on. You got two sides though, the North and the NAW, that’s Gwinnett. The other side, the North side is Cobb. Where I kind of went to school at and I represent, but it’s slept on. I’m going to tell you why it’s slept on. The community doesn’t claim places that aren’t dominated by Section 8 living.
We got a few, but a lot of people don’t know about it and it’s not as many as the other ones. We have too many affluent sides. You’ve got East Cobb and all of these areas where they think a lot of upperclass people are and the cops come in there.
But it’s still a lot of hoods out here and there’s a lot of culture out here. But they don’t claim it a lot because of the lacks, the lack of hoods and section 8 living out there.
They gentrifying the area a little bit now, but back in the day, they used to get it cracking over there. Mmm. But a lot of people didn’t know that. T.I. said some shit about it, anybody from the Westside, they gonna know about Cobb (county) because it’s right there.
I’ve always said it was a blessing for me to move to the north side because it was the one side that nobody claimed. You know, me, K Camp, Mike Will, and Rich the Kid, are all from Cobb.
Me and K. Camp went to the same high school.”
“How is it having a podcast and a YouTube channel?”
Sy Ari Da Kid: “It was a perfect transition, bro. I got real sick of the media and I got real sick of the industry. You want something done right, you have to do it yourself. So I started making myself media. I’m always talking shit and it’s going to be good for marketing, so it just made sense.
Once I started tapping into it, I saw it was really dope. I wanted to do it the right way, the right quality. And I love podcasting. It’s actually fun. It’s a lot of extra work. It’s a new world that I’m tapping into and that’s where the game is transitioning into.”
“Where can the fans support you and stay updated on your journey?”
Sy Ari Da Kid: “Follow me on all DSP. I have. tour starting with a show on May 17th in Atlanta at Center Stage. I’ll drop a new project toward the summer, and maybe one later in the Fall. I like to end the year with another project.”
Wrap-Up
With The Last Shadow In The Shade, Sy Ari Da Kid continues to elevate the conversation around hip-hop’s unsung heroes. The album is a must-list for those who appreciate authenticity in storytelling and lyricism. Known for his prolific output, check out Sy Ari Da Kid’s most recent release, The Last Shadow In The Shade, released on Friday, Feb. 8th.
