I’ll tell you this, there aren’t many that can say they can match the energy of NEMS. But this album provides there’s an exception to this rule and that has driven the culture crazy! So let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new April release by MC’s NEMS and Ron Browz and with all the production done -Ron himself this one was destined to be one of the coldest drops of the year with the likes of
-Lil Fame and -Papoose being the sole features to help maintain that ridiculous energy this record has to offer across the 10 songs and 30 minutes of time frame!
Let’s start with the production aspect. What I appreciated about Ron’s beats on this one is the stripped-back, grimy East Coast vibe this one has! On NEMS last album -AMERICA’S SWEETHEART I felt Nems utilised larger-than-life and lavish instrumental choices and on this one he’s decided it’s better to take it back bare so the music (and bars) can speak for themselves!
This thing runs like a strong score of literally some of the most minimal yet powerful BOOM-heavy sounds you can expect.
Whether you’re talking about the track -Earl Manigault where we hear the combination of those rhythm & hypnotic drum beats that’s combined with those sharp chord progressions and that subtle what sounds like a classical old-school vocal harmony loop that appears every 5-7 seconds in a loop!
(Not to mention Lil Fame’s dope feature verse)
There’s the track -Kruger which sounds like the perfect blend between modern-day BOOM Bap and old-school 90’s Hip Hop! You’ve got those ridiculously thudding drums that take over your whole body and mind!
Add that thick bass, sharp and eerie notes and rumbling drum progressions and you have a track that is every bit as strong and heavy as you’ve ever heard all year!
The song -P Anthem has a throwback to the -G Funk sound of the classic 90’s or early 2000’s, which feels like a nice switch-up while not losing any of that homage paid to the old school. You’ve got that groovy bass chords, this shimmering what sounds like bottles being clanked in the background with some clapping sounds and lively drum beats that come together for something you could play at a BBQ while drinking some cold ones!
This whole score breathes a new life into a NEMS that I felt amplified his already gargantuan style!
Speaking of the man, we have NEMS. A man who has been credited as reinventing and levelling up the art of ‘Bully rap’ to such an extent that it has become part of his nature. Every word, sentence, bar, and verse is written as an insult, and not many, if any, do it as well as he does!
Across this project, we hear NEMS in peak bully, aggressive form! Whether that be in his powerful vocal performances or his natural, undeniable charisma, his verbal strength, or as mentioned, just his savagery behind the mic!
It’s not just specifically his lyricism either; it’s the penmanship punch he throws with it! The way he pronounces his words and the active expressions he adds on top of it. He’s giving us a memorable experience with just his charisma and razor-sharp pen game and Vicious Delivery, which makes all the difference!
With half an hour to run through, we can hear him taking his time and letting us performances breathe a bit more than on his last record. He’s letting his verses feel a bit more methodical in some areas and in others more fast-paced and heavy-handed! He’s deciding which tones suit where, and that adds an extra layer to the overall record!
Also, can’t forget the two names that came in and, to loosely quote Biggie, ‘kicked in the door wavering their lyrical 44’s’ in the booth with their encyclopaedia of knowledge paired with the chemistry of both Ron and NEMS? It became a wrap immediately.
If you haven’t heard this one yet, then you are definitely missing out! It’s stripped back, powerful, entertaining, and the performances more so! Check out the link below!
https://open.spotify.com/album/5RfQ4C0OmQsIRtsIDpfONO?si=TcMhpwQtT5CZ2CquTPQBuw
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