Shame Gang w/ Nacynze, Ty 4 Thought, Craig Leonidas, & more

500 East Davie Street,Raleigh NC 27601

22 April, 2023

Description

It’s been seven years since Shame Gang (Darren Clark), relocated from the D.C. area to Raleigh; in those years, he’s made a name for himself within North Carolina’s local hip-hop scene (Shame Gang formerly went as Shame, but switched his name earlier this year.) He’s performed and headlined local festivals, opened up for a number of hip-hop heavyweights, including Wu-Tang Clan, Toured with Nc legend Rapper Big Pooh of Little Brother (2022), formed his own rap collective (Kulture Gang), and curated his own series of hip-hop shows and beat battles (Shame Sundays and Sounds of the Kulture Beat Battle). His inspirations come from artist such as Q-tip, A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac, Outkast, Bone Thugs & Harmony and Nas. Like many these of artists, Shame got his start to fame by competing in rap battles and distributing his music through local college radio stations. Before his quest to conquer the music world began, Shame had to decide which parts of life were going to make or break him. Shame was born in the tough streets of Capital Heights, Maryland, however, his mother and father raised him in Landover, Maryland. In 2011, Shame was struck by a car, and for almost 2 years, he couldn’t walk. Not only did this ruin his dream to play college basketball, but it also knocked his passion for music off track. This left him wondering whether or not he should even continue with his music at all. However, Shame soon found that music was the only remedy and escape for the pain he was feeling. So, still determined to never quit, Shame pushed himself and got back to his passion. To many, Shame Gang is one of the hardest-working talents in the area. But even with the amount of success he’s achieved, his identity as a transplant pushes him to work harder. “I always felt like, in a sense, out here, I always had to work a little harder because I’m not from [North Carolina],” he says. “Typically, you have artists from here that are ushered in through high school or college. They have easier access to the local support.” To make sure he’s building a rap career that’s profitable 10 or 20 years from now, instead of focusing on just obtaining support within the Triangle, Shame Gang has shifted his energy to winning over listeners across the East Coast, and according to 2021 Spotify Wrapped stats, his number of listeners he has close to 30,000. Earlier this year, his second album, No Safe Haven, was released to rave reviews—and the attention of Jay-Z’s nephew.