"Born to Congolese parents in Paris, Shabani immigrated to Canada before launching alternative hip-hop artistry in Texas." — Rachel Roscoe, Austin Chronicle

In his debut album, “Black Hoodies,” released in 2016 as the Black Lives Matter movement went global, Shabani comes of age in a world that isn’t kind to all people, but he finds a silver lining in rap as a way to free the mind. In “Austin City Lights,” Shabani commits — to rap and to his new city of Austin, with features by Austin’s own Kydd Jones and Grammy-winner Bobby Sessions. But he keeps coming home and in 2019 the Congolese son releases the “Leopards Leap | Must Not Weep'' double album. Here, “he dives headfirst, unflinchingly, into deeply personal narratives that connect and resonate on a universal level, elevating his voice through an intertwined texture of R&B, hip-hop/alt. hip-hop and pulsating electronica. There is love, and there is hope, but no small talk and no delusion.” — Laurie Gallardo, KUT.

Influenced by Kid Cudi, Kaytranada, Lupe Fiasco, and Childish Gambino, Shabani identifies with the outsiders of hip-hop. The independent has established himself with appearances at iconic festivals like SXSW, ESPN X Games, and So What Music Festival, and performance at home and abroad supporting artists like Ashanti, Blxst, Nappy Roots, Shwayze, D Smoke, K CAMP, Black Joe Lewis, Trinidad James, and more with his band, The Nu Leopards, a tribute to his Congolese roots.