Shy Empire ft: rakjayuk - Looking Upstairs (Single)

Shy Empire Builds a Chaotic New World on 'Looking Upstairs’.

Northampton producer Shy Empire has never been interested in taking the conventional route. In fact, his latest track, Looking Upstairs, didn't begin with a beat at all, it started with an album cover.

The artwork's sense of danger and conflict sparked the track's aggressive bassline, with influences ranging from Rage Against the Machine to Dizzee Rascal's seminal Boy in da Corner. The result was the foundation of a dark, volatile sonic world that would eventually become one of his most ambitious productions to date.

A month into the process, an Instagram video featuring an eerie gospel recording layered over clips of billionaires making outlandish statements provided the missing piece. Shy Empire manipulated the sample extensively, pitching it down, restructuring its arrangement and drenching it in effects, creating the haunting introduction that now anchors the track.

With the instrumental largely complete, he began searching for the right vocalist and eventually connected with Manchester rapper rakjayuk. The pairing clicked immediately. Drawn together by shared frustrations around class, disenfranchisement and modern society, the collaboration came together quickly, with rakjayuk delivering a powerful performance in just two takes.

The final touch arrived in the form of an Arthur Scargill speech, which was chopped and reworked into the track's politically charged interlude. Mixing and mastering duties were handled by Max Carola, whose previous credits include Olivia Dean.

For Shy Empire, Looking Upstairs is more than just a debut release. It's intended as a statement of intent, a bold introduction to his production style that fuses punk energy, UK rap and experimental sound design. While future releases may explore more restrained territory, this track serves as a blueprint for his vision: uncompromising production, unconventional structures and a commitment to spotlighting voices and accents from outside London's traditional music circles.

Away from music, Shy Empire works in logistics and still calls Northampton home. He lives with his girlfriend, who helped design the final artwork, and their rescue dog Nelly.