Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By Who Shot Scott, Call and Response 2023.
Who Shot Scott is Iraqi born hip-hop, rock, and dance musician Zaidoon Nasir, who now lives in New Zealand.
After fleeing Iraq in his mother’s arms as a two-year-old boy, the mother and son initially settled in Moscow before embarking for New Zealand.
It took young Zaidoon some time to settle in his new home but at eight years of age he found a friend who shared his love of hip-hop and together they formed a duo that quickly went on to achieve international success.
Zaidoon had great plans for their musical future until his friend and partner, citing new-found religious beliefs, announced that he would no longer be making music, and moved overseas without even saying goodbye.
It was more than a shock, it was a great disappointment, however Zaidoon regrouped and like a phoenix Who Shot Scott arose from the ashes.
Mercy III is the third EP in a trilogy of similarly titled EPs, Mercy, Mercy II, and now the final EP to complete the music journey.
His first two EPs have received rave reviews and once again he is re-establishing an international profile.
Who Shot Scott produces an amalgam of hip-hop, rap, dance, and rock which is full of melody provided through the musical backing and harmony vocals.
The final track, Mother’s Eyes, is both sung and rapped and it is my favourite track on the five-track EP.
Raw emotion underpins all of Who Shot Scott’s work and this final track is deeply personal.
The single Loner’s Anthem is an amazing track that reached number one on the NZ College Radio for four weeks and won the Top 10 award as the most voted-for song of the year at the 2022 ceremony.
His music has been played on MTV and Spotify editorials, appeared in TV commercials and made playlists around the world.
Mercy III is the first of the trilogy that I’ve heard and it’s inspired me to hunt out the two earlier EPs.
