Today (10/29/2024), Roc Nation’s Equity Distribution signee and Raleigh, NC-based rapper Shame Gang shares his new short film for his single “Million And One”. Shot by Summit Films (previously worked with Benny the Butcher and J. Cole) and directed by Giancarlo Bauzulli, the film takes place in the Old West, where Shame and his cowboy gang of Erik Lottary and DEVN work together to permeate the town with their music. Grammy-nominated Dreamville rapper Lute plays the film’s antagonist who will stop at nothing to disrupt their plans. With an underlying theme of collaboration, the film reflects the song’s message to artists that there are countless ways to make an impact with your music, in spite of opposing forces.
“The creative process for ‘Million and One’ came from a variety of collaborative sessions in Charlotte, where multiple artists exchanged ideas and concepts. It was challenging because I had never been in the same room writing with so many different artists at the same time. It was rewarding to be able to assert my songwriting, and the constructive criticism was enriching. We all interpret ideas differently, and brainstorming with so many different artists allowed us to incorporate varied perspectives. The song reminds artists that we have a million ways to be successful in the industry. It’s a reminder that we aren’t going to let people stop us, we’re going to stake a claim, and we’re here to stay.” – Shame Gang
“The music video project was all about creating a story that captured the song’s energy and the idea that there are countless ways to break into the music business and make a mark. We wanted to emphasize the collaboration in the song itself, so we made an effort to showcase everyone involved. With Shame Gang and his crew set in a western, we thought it would be great to literally make them a cowboy gang influencing and pushing their music by going all the way back to the past. That was the start of building this story out, trying to make it unique, fun, and creative. At its core, it was about artists hustling together to get their music out by any means necessary—with a dose of time travel and some smoking boots, because why not, right?” – Giancarlo Bauzulli
“Million and One” is from Shame Gang‘s deeply personal, introspective, and largely anecdotal 2023 album Better Late Than Never, which follows the story of Shame’s life as a car mechanic striving for greener pastures as a professional Rap star. The album follows Shame Gang’s lauded 2021 sophomore effort No Safe Haven, and features Skyzoo, Smoke DZA, Lute, Little Brother‘s Rapper Big Pooh, Oswin Benjamin, and more.
