The eleven captivating songs on Shontelligence were recorded over a two year period. Co-written with producers Sturken and Rogers, the album presents an array of songs which display Shontelle’s depth and versatility; like the motivational anthem, “Battle Cry,” also featured on a compilation album inspired by President-Elect Barack Obama’s campaign called Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement, and “Life Is Not An Easy Road,” a reggae-influenced track that encourages strength in the face of adversity.

The album is all about originality. In the song “Nobody”, Roshin raps “I was just a little crony/ tryin’ to kick it like my favourite rappers/ just a lil’ phony/ I was busy tryin’ to go party/ ten years later I don’t sound like nobody.” Songs like “Lifelines” and “Yellow and Grey” tell of the importance of NOTES’ resilience and stability, the group’s moving forward against immeasurable odds.

Over two decades have passed since Rock and Rap music first collided when a young Run DMC covered Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” off their 1975 album, Toys In The Attic. At the time, Rock music was flourishing; whereas, Rap music was still trying to make a name for itself in the music industry. The two [...]