An array of rap talent shared the mic with music artist and fashion designer Nigo for his first collection in over two decades. PHOTO CREDIT: Genius.com
After releasing multiple singles, Japanese fashion designer, DJ and producer, Nigo, released his second studio album, “I Know NIGO!,” filled with features from accomplished artists such as A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator and Pusha T.
Nigo is most notably known for his streetwear fashion brand, A Bathing Ape, and his collaboration with Pharrell Williams on their clothing brand, Billionaire Boys Club. “I Know NIGO!” is his first musical project since 2000 and easily his most accomplished.
The 11-track album explores different styles and themes, representing the featured artists’ personalities. Ordinarily having a blend of styles without a guiding theme leads to disaster, but Nigo made every song unique, creating a really interesting listening experience.
Pusha T remains one of the most underappreciated artists in hip hop, even at 44 years old, and his features on this album demonstrate his talent.“Punch Bowl” is a confident track filled with themes of living lavishly and lyrics focused on flexing his fame and success in the rap game, most notably in the chorus. “Punch bowl full of car keys for all my friends, You get to pick your own Benz.”
The other song he’s featured on, “Hear Me Clearly,” was released as a teaser single earlier in the year. This track, like most Pusha T songs, demonstrates anger towards the current state of rap and hip hop, calling out the lack of authenticity in the music business.
Tyler, The Creator showed up big in this album with two phenomenal tracks, “Lost and Found Freestyle 2019,” and “Come On, Let’s Go.” The first is a collaborative effort with A$AP Rocky, who has another track, “Arya.” Rocky and Tyler have worked together in the past, with Rocky featured on Tyler’s 2017 album “Flower Boy” and their collaborative single “Potato Salad.”
Once again, the duo shines on “Lost and Found Freestyle 2019.” Rocky’s confident in-your-face style counters Tyler’s creative storytelling abilities incredibly well. The beat change that separates their verses keeps the song fresh upon listening. “Come On, Let’s Go” is reminiscent of Tyler’s more recent work on his albums “Flower Boy” and “Igor,” featuring catchy beats, clever lyricism and complex instrumentals.
The aforementioned A$AP Rocky track “Arya” features a delicate piano intro, which quickly fades to a bass-fueled beat that Rocky masterfully raps over, boasting about fashion, cars and other riches associated with fame.
Pharrell Williams is featured on two tracks, “Functional Addict” with Gunna and “Paper Plates” with A$AP Ferg. “Functional Addict” is clearly produced by Pharrell, with his signature four-beat intro, and is reminiscent of his first album “In My Mind.” Gunna’s verse surprisingly blends with Pharrell’s style and this track is one of the strongest on the album.
Conversely, “Paper Plates” is the worst track on the album. The instrumentals are fine, but Pharrell’s disjointed vocals feel unnatural and clunky. A$AP Ferg’s verses are strong, however the chorus is hard to listen to and it overall feels incomplete.
Kid Cudi’s feature track, “Want It Bad” disappoints. It’s generally very uninteresting, the 2010’s EDM influence doesn’t work with Cudi’s vocals. Cudi has been featured on EDM-inspired songs in the past, but “Want It Bad” is repetitive and boring.
The dark horse track on this album and one of the biggest surprises, was “Morë Tonight” featuring Japanese hip hop group Teriyaki Boyz. Blending English and Japanese lyrics with an infectious, high tempo beat, this track reminds the listener of their most popular song from the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “Tokyo Drift.”
Lil Uzi Vert and Pop Smoke’s features on the tracks “Heavy” (Uzi) and “Remember” (Pop Smoke) draw on drill rap influences. While Pop Smoke is known for his drill rap style, Lil Uzi Vert is known for his own distinct style, blending trap and emo rap. Hearing Uzi rap over a drill beat was surprising, however, the track gets repetitive by the end. “Remember” is a posthumous feature from Pop Smoke, and it does him justice. Pop Smoke was one of the leading voices of the drill rap scene in New York and continues to be a legend after his death.
“I Know NIGO!” is a great collection of tracks produced by Nigo and it benefits from the lack of structure. The blending of different styles, themes and influences make this album a great listen, and an early contender for some awards in the future.