“Method” could be a grimy phrase amongst music followers. For a lot of, it evokes ideas of unimaginative, knackered music by artists dropping off uninspired fan service simply to say they did. Artists are pressured by sects of followers to increase their lyrical content material, create versatile tasks, and promise new improvements with each album. Typically, the appropriate sonic pivot adjustments the scope of widespread music. And different occasions, they get artists on lists of dangerous albums by sensible artists.
Everybody can respect some sonic wandering, however typically, as is the case with Atlanta rapper Younger Nudy, there’s a profit to realizing what you’re going to get. On his new album, Gumbo, Nudy sticks to his braggadocious, hunger-inducing script and succeeds throughout a 13-track canvas that locations him additional up the ranks of hip-hop’s “finest ear for beats” board.
Nudy is finest recognized for his chemistry with Pi’erre Bourne, who produced “Pot Roast”, a standout observe with Key Glock, however Gumbo was predominantly cheffed up by Coupe, a producer from Macon, Georgia, who infused his background enjoying piano in church into his manufacturing software program Fruity Loops 12, which he deploys successfully all through Gumbo. He says Nudy is a giant brother determine, they usually’ve cultivated a “enjoyable,” tightknit chemistry within the studio. Their synergy is felt all through Gumbo, an album that excels musically primarily based on Coupe’s most spectacular attribute: his capacity to create melodic interaction between disparate textures. On “Pancake,” he drapes eerie keys match for a murder-mystery theme over a chunky bass line. The very subsequent observe, “Portabella,” melds collectively two in another way idyllic synths as Nudy gushes about how medication “take you away.” “Shrimp” is produced by Naestro, however employs the identical approach, as center frequencies flutter beneath a hypnotic seesawing synth, capturing the essence of Gumbo’s delicate complexities. Sonically, Nudy takes listeners from the muck to 30,000 toes — and in every single place in between.
Gumbo’s producers have crafted a venture that’s immersive, however by no means overpowering, leaving room for Nudy’s distinctive, rubbery voice to be the centerpiece of the venture. The entice music scene is filled with artists nudging each other for the highlight. As revolutionary because the sound has develop into, it’s honest to acknowledge that it’s chock-full of lots of of rappers toying with the identical restricted thematic palette. They discover related road dynamics, make the identical threats, and namecheck the identical suite of luxurious manufacturers. It’s a sport the place small wrinkles can flip in any other case rudimentary lyrical content material into excessive artwork. For Nudy, it’s not solely his beat choice, however his charisma and voice that make him a personality you need to hear extra from.
A listener’s enjoyment of his catalog doesn’t hinge on “believability” as a lot as on how a lot enjoyable he’s having whereas rapping. He sloshes by album opener “Brussel Sprout,” mixing ad-libs and finish rhymes into the subsequent bar like a painter crosshatching brush strokes. From the hushed menace of “M.R.E.” to matching Key Glock and 21 Savage’s visitor options with invigorated double-time flows, he takes on quite a lot of approaches all through Gumbo, preserving his cool all through. Even when he simulates gunshot bucks on the finish of “Peaches & Eggplant,” with 21 Savage, it seems like he’s being simply forceful sufficient to be felt, however not a lot in order that he wrinkles his shirt. He might have used the album to point out a bit extra of who Nudy from Eastside Atlanta is, as he does throughout revelatory moments on “Fish & Chips” and “Portabella.” However total Gumbo is one other sturdy providing from an artist who has mastered his craft, and is simply high quality sticking with it.
