Master Shortie

Master Shortie, an eclectic and offbeat rapper who has performed alongside both the indie agitators Hadouken! and the veteran hip-hop figure Erick Sermon, entered the British rap circuit in 2008 via the retro-styled single “Rope Chain.” Growing up in South London, he absorbed an independent ethos from his father, who once operated a jazz venue in East London. After pitching his recordings to various labels over several years and receiving multiple proposals, he declined every deal that would have required yielding artistic authority to a major company. Choosing instead to operate independently, he issued “Rope Chain” through his own Odd Man Out imprint in 2008, followed by the dance-floor favorite “Dance Like a White Boy” on the same label in 2009. During that year he also unveiled the retro-flavored cut “Bringing It Back” and his first full-length project, A.D.H.D.