(Rise, Floody. Kill And Eat)

First of all, what a dope album title and artwork! Secondly, how many verses does this man have up his sleeve? It seems every other day I’m getting a notification of a new Bandcamp release! How can anyone hope to keep up with a man like that? Regardless, this new one features a producer I fuck with HEAVY, so with that in mind, I knew I had to cover it. Let’s go!

This is the brand-new album by MC NOWAAH THE FLOOD & Producer SOUL LA FLARE, and together they drop a solid eight tracks that I guarantee you will blow all exceptions out of the water! 

Firstly, let’s talk about the MC work. The immediate thing that came to my attention was his sporadic and chaotic performances across these beats. I feel that perhaps the inclusion of SOUL LA has inspired him to be more freelance and unpredictable on his verses! I don’t remember him sounding this aggressive in the past, and I can’t lie, I love the colour on him!

He sounds sharper, more precise, and dominant. It’s like these instrumentals bring out the monster inside of him, and paired with the overwhelming beats, you’ve got a recipe for greatness. He showcases in spades an in-your-face delivery, a more vivid and razor-edge punch with his wordplay.

His pen game is brutal as he’s describing the horrific things he’ll do to you or others in extreme detail. 

I love his vicious flow this time around, the intensity of it all, the rugged and powerful nature of it as well as its cold-blooded nature. He’s always been an incredible MC, but to hear him in this light is crazy to me, a side I hope we can hear more of!

Speaking of hearing more of. Ever since I discovered him, SOUL has become one of my favourite producers. Whether he’s making records with Divino or Jackpot Records or just rocking with his own instrumental shit, he’s ALWAYS KILLING IT, and this time is no exception! Across these eight tracks, he breathes his own brand of atmospheric music that is the definition of a ‘fever dream’.

With tracks like -SACRED HUNGER, which features those distorted pairs of chord progression and piano keys! That also features the occasional random sound/adlib and subtle jazz horn throughout the whole track that adds an extra layer of tension to the song!

This is one of the more minimal cuts, but the way it fuses with NOWAAH’s vocals is priceless! 

Or the track -BLOOD ON THE ALTAR, which is actually an instrumental track to open the record off. It’s pure soul in hip-hop form! You’ve got

those luscious chord progression, mixed in with those subtle drum beats as well as that overall distorted vibe that SOUL is so good at utilising within his music.

There’s also a small tinge of vocal snippet that’s ever so slight across that instrumental that gives it that little bit extra sonic texture!

Hell, even the song -AND NOT GO ASTRAY (STRAIGHT PATH), which has one of the more obvious gritty boom-bap paths than the rest, less soulful and more gritty & muddy. You’ve got those high synth-style keys, violin strings, heavy bass, and thudding drums! 

This one is absolutely vicious in every way possible! Although only a few layers, each part hits like a Baki kick to the face! Absolutely unreal! 

Whenever you get SOUL LA FLARE on the score, you’re destined for greatness. He’s helped push the culture more than most, and combined with one of the most prolific MC’s in the game right now In NOWAAH, you’ve got an undeniable album that brings out the best in both of them! Make sure you click the link below, support, and pump this new record! 

https://soullaflare.bandcamp.com/album/rise-floody-kill-and-eat