ShrapKnel

Curly Castro and PremRock are ShrapKnel, an East Coast duo that proves steel sharpens steel. In the five years since their inception, ShrapKnel has made the stage their home turf, a comfort that contains both visceral bar delivery and petty barbs of a bickering odd couple. They exist as complementary opposites: Castro’s encyclopedic knowledge of rap is spoken like a first language, while Prem’s wordplay yarns his life into esoteric ciphers. As Castro tells FLOOD, “The live element is crucial to this thing of ours.” The chemistry is undeniable, and at times, comically turbulent. ShrapKnel opened for Armand Hammer and The Alchemist at Summer Stage in 2021 and supported CZARFACE and Souls of Mischief in New York City tour stops. The duo headlined three regional U.S. tours and one European tour. As previously stated, the stage is home turf. ShrapKnel’s third studio album Nobody Planning To Leave on Backwoodz Studioz is widely praised as one of the Best Albums of 2024 by outlets like Brooklyn Vegan, Endless Crate, and Bandcamp Daily, among others. The group is currently in the studio working on multiple records.