David Israel Salazar (born September 21, 1999), known professionally as David Shawty, is an American rapper and record producer known for pioneering the Internet microgenres digicore and glitchcore.
David Shawty | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Israel Salazar September 21, 1999 |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Formerly of | Nitemare |
In 2020, his song "Pressure" with Yungster Jack went viral online. They collaborated on the EP Stupid Fruity Swag in 2021. In 2022, Salazar released the solo album David 3.[1]
Early life
editDavid Israel Salazar was born on September 21, 1999 in San Jose, California.[2] He is based in Seattle, Washington.[2]
Career
editIn 2020, Salazar released the single "Pressure" with Yungster Jack, which later went viral online and spawned several "glitchcore" edits on TikTok.[3][4][5] Pitchfork described the single as an "underground hit", which was brought to attention on TikTok by the glitchcore editor "iguana_alana".[3] Writing for Complex, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds stated that the song had "invaded mainstream TikTok and racked up big numbers on YouTube and Spotify too."[4] In a Pitchfork article, Press-Reynolds compared the track to Chief Keef's 2015 song "War" and the work of Bladee, Goth Money Records, Metro Zu and Playboi Carti.[6]
According to Ones to Watch, "Pressure" is considered a breakout moment in Salazar's career, described as "loud and abrasive with stuttering vocals and a rushing instrumental that blended both electronic and hip hop".[7] The track was also described as "glitchy".[7]
Press-Reynolds later stated that David Shawty and Yungster Jack's 2020 song "Spawn Camping" started with a sample from an "iconic" Future quote and wouldn't have existed without Lil Uzi Vert.[6]
In 2021, Salazar released the album Stupid Fruity Swag with Yungster Jack.[8] That year, Pitchfork stated that the rise of Alt TikTok had brought attention to Salazar's work.[9] He was also described as a "left-field" artist.[9] British artist Mark Leckey played David Shawty and Yungster Jack on his monthly radio show for NTS Radio.[10] Salazar has collaborated with artists such as Xaviersobased, Novagang, MexikoDro, Callari, fadedblackid, and Hella Sketchy.[11]
Musical style
editSalazar's style is noted for extensive use of Auto-Tune and vocal chopping.[4][12][7] He has been described as digicore and glitchcore.[11][4][10][13] Writing for Complex, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds described the techniques used by David Shawty on the song "Dancing on the Sidewalk Lights Flicker" as "the sounds of a rapper's voice spliced into fragments, placed in front of nearly every bar, like punctuation. 'D-d-d-d,' he warbles, his voice injected with a ludicrous amount of aural Botox (Auto-Tune, pitch shift)."[4] BrooklynVegan described Salazar's production as "weird and cool" and noted his use of vocal chopping and stuttering.[12]
According to Ones to Watch, Salazar "completely rejects a traditional approach when creating music. His melodic, sometimes pitched, vocals are infectious across every track, but what sets him apart most is his inclination to perform over wild experimental beats and the creative way he structures his songs".[7] The publication cited tracks such as "Who Let the Dogs Out" as "standouts" for his "vocal inflections".[7]
Influence
editSalazar has been described as a pioneer of the digicore genre.[10] BrooklynVegan credited David Shawty and Yungster Jack as "responsible for the Soundcloud scene's transition from emo rap to hyperpop".[12] According to Pitchfork writer Cat Zhang, the song "Pressure" inspired one of the tags in the song "NEVER MET!" by CMTEN, which was seen as a testament to "the speed at which sonic features mutate and spread in this universe".[3]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Ooze |
|
| Caterpillar |
|
| Psycho Nitemare (Creepypasta Love Story) |
|
| DAVID 3 |
|
| ERAMETIN |
|
| Grand Theft Nitemare |
|
| Idaho Blues |
|
| Hatch |
|
| That I Am |
|
Mixtapes
edit| Title | Mixtape details |
|---|---|
| Gossip™ |
|
| Nitemare Samsquanch |
|
| Whatever 2 |
|
| Molt |
|
| THE CREATURE |
|
EPs
edit| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| ByMyLonely |
|
| My Heart |
|
| Deadboy 2k |
|
| Grave Angel |
|
| Pink Eternity |
|
| Grave Angel 2 |
|
| Deathbed - EP |
|
| Witch |
|
| #NovaJackDavid20 ✰ |
|
| NITEMARE 3200 |
|
| Up Bad |
|
| Whatever By David |
|
| Stupid Fruity Swag |
|
| Guardian Ghosts |
|
| MyRoom |
|
| Pajama 4est |
|
| 2020 |
|
| Whatever 1.3 |
|
| Torture Fest |
|
| Sinking House |
|
| Amazing Music To Fall Asleep To. |
|
References
edit- ↑ Dazed (2022-10-28). "6 albums to stream this week". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 1 2 DCR (2020-11-04). "Who is David Shawty?". DCR. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- 1 2 3 Zhang, Cat (2020-11-19). "Is Glitchcore a TikTok Aesthetic, a New Microgenre, or the Latest Iteration of Glitch Art?". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Press-Reynolds, Kieran (August 13, 2020). "Gorgeous Glitches and Nightcored Melodies: The New Generation of SoundCloud Music is Here". Complex. Archived from the original on 2020-08-20. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
- ↑ DCR (2020-11-04). "Who is David Shawty?". DCR. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- 1 2 Pierre, Alphonse (2020-04-10). "The Best and Worst of Rap This Week: Offset's Interview With Reese Witherspoon and More". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Borland, Tyler (January 26, 2021). "'up bad' Is a New Direction for Experimental Artist David Shawty". Ones to Watch. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- ↑ Hatfield, Amanda. "Kaonashi's Peter Rono tells us about his 10 favorite albums of 2021". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 1 2 Zhang, Cat (2021-12-14). "The Year in Music on TikTok 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 1 2 3 Pulver, Andrew (2021-12-31). "Making (air)waves: how artists are finding inspiration through, and on, radio". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 1 2 Edlin, Dillon (2020-09-01). "David Shawty is Defining a New Era". Underground Underdogs. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- 1 2 3 Sacher, Andrew. "What is hyperska? Eichlers shares 10 songs that inspired the new subgenre". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- ↑ Enis, Eli (2025-01-03). "Chasing Fridays: Whirr, Jane Remover, Tex Patrello, more". Chasing Sundays. Retrieved 2026-04-05.