Friend group turned rap crew If The Shoe Fits (or the Shoeboys) is determined to remind the rest of New York to include Long Island in future rap conversations. Best friends Katharsis, Grant Sounds, Candid, and Rob Dawkins met in high school and strengthened their bond while running for their school’s track team. Hailing from the home of rap legends like Rakim and Busta Rhymes, the four tapped into their own lyrical abilities and went on to become solo artists. Often featuring each other on songs and recording in each other’s basements, it didn’t take them long to realize how effortlessly they worked as a unit, at which point they momentarily paused their individual aspirations to form their crew.

The “conscious weeb” collective occupies a unique lane in the rap game. Refusing to be pigeonholed so early in their career, If The Shoe Fits has made it a point to explore all subject matter imaginable—their music touches on just about everything from anime and manga, to social justice issues, to plain old existential dread. They seamlessly oscillate between experimental nerdcore raps influenced by their favorite anime shows and classic boom-bap soundscapes that remind listeners of the hip-hop glory days.

Since their inception three years ago, If The Shoe Fits has released one project and four singles. The group released their latest Halloween-themed single “Vampire” on October 20th and has plans to release the spooky accompanying music video in mid-November.

Listen to If The Shoe Fits on Apple Music and Spotify, and follow them on Instagram and Twitter at @itsfcollective. For any press, collaborations, bookings, or features, please contact their manager Chioma Nwana through itsfshoeboys@gmail.com.