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Nappy Roots banged out a name for themselves with their first single "Awnaw" off their debut CD
"Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz", then set it to relatable heights with their second single release
"Po' Folks" singlehandedly putting Kentucky on the hip hop map. Nappy is composed of six men
putting it down for their state without any shame whatsoever. After a full listen to their debut
CD it wouldn't be true in any shape to deny their talent and level of excellence. So after having
such a successful (and may I say ridiculous) first album, will they be jinxed by the sophomore
slump?
Let's begin with the production. There is not a bad beat on this entire album, some songs have
exceptional beats however, such as "Nappy Roots Day" which sets the mood incredibly
well with a lot of low noises and a voice sample that strings the beat along. The only producers
you may recognize is Raphael Saadiq, ("Work In Progress", "Leave This Morning") who is more
commonly viewed as an artist than a producer, Kanye West ("These Walls") and Lil Jon ("What Cha
Gonna Do?" (The Anthem)). That's right, no Timbaland, no Puffy and no Neptunes, and guess what?
It's a more original album for it. Lots of guitars, hand claps and organs lace plenty of beats
without the monotony ever drying it up, especially with crazy beats thrown in like "Twang".
Raphael Saadiq is definitely not a disappointment with his production skills and is actually
really nice on "Leave This Morning" creating a very neo soul environment and for a moment you
forget you're listening to some Kentucky boys kicking some flow with the hook provided by
the man behind the mixing board, good stuff. His skill doesn't quit there though, he hooks us
up again on "Work In Progress" (which he does not add his vocals to), a very intellectually provoking
aura to back up such lyrics as "everybody knows it costs to be the boss / yeah the price is kinda
steep, but sacrifice is never cheap". Kanye does an amazing job on "These Walls", the beat never
taking the focus off the lyricists yet not making it impossible for them to make a point, the
ending of the song however may leave you speechless in empathy as you hear a public sampling of
the announcement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death. Lil Jon's beat could easily be identified
in a police lineup, not that it's bad in any way, it's just very Lil Jon-ish is all I'm saying,
but it's good none the less.
The greatest compliment to the production (Executive Produced by Kevin Mitchell & Mike Caren, Caren
Exec Produced their previous album) is that the music never gets stale and always supports the
group, always falling into its proper position as another supporting member there to provide
atmosphere for head bobbing, chin scratching, or in Lil Jon's case, carpet cutting.
The overall style of Nappy Roots is so diverse that they won't allow you to predict their next
move, other than the obvious "it won't be something we've already done". It's a brilliant mix
of different character styles yet constantly taking a focused approach to each track to present
near perfect harmony. The track ordering seems like it was planned out before the tracks were
even laid down, good flow of the CD. Guest appearances were kept to a low, I guess when you have
six people to draw talent from there really isn't much need to call in a lot of outside sources.
The only guests are Anthony Hamilton (from the first album's "Po' Folks") on "Push On",
and the aforementioned Raphael Saadiq, both delivering admirable performances.
Lyrically it's tough to correct them, each one delivers on-point performances always stepping up
to the plate and getting the job done with no slouch. Here's a few excerpts:
"...why my wife is curious / bout how much she could get me on for life insurance / wish there was
bummin, no problems, that's when life was purest / mo' money mo' problems that's right notorious":
"Sick & Tired".
"baby I told you how I made a dollar, outta dime and a nickel / blue collar, gotta grind on
instrumentals / see my pencil and pad has been punchin the clock / I put in time and a half skip lunch
I can't stop": "Leave This Morning".
"slept and ate with our peeps but we let the streets raise us / kept the weed blazin and the let drink
age us / used to live outrageous / now we just couch potat'es / without the wages / straight out them
project cages / make do with what we got, use the logic that God gave us...."
"Now we finally feelin plush / goin gotta do it keep our nails air brushed / J's straight out the box
ain't ne'er been touched": "Push On".
""I'm bout 3,000 miles from Graceland / by the county from Akin / but you would think an arm reach from
satan": "These Walls".
Obviously, that's only a taste and will not do justice without the style and presentation. They definitely
do not bring some lyrical flow that is tough to outwrite, but they bring it with conviction and a deep
sense of poetry which makes it more real for the listener and more than mere words. Choruses are
sharply written with precision you could only find on an exacto-knife. "Good God Almighty", "Nappy Roots
Day", "Push On" and "Leave This Morning" are a few of the oustanding ones (there's many), but very few fall below
quality level. The only ones that could use a new thought are "War / Peace", "What Cha Gonna Do?",
and some were just decent like "Light & Dark" and "Twang". Some party vibes are shot through joints like "What Cha
Gonna Do?" and "Twang", which are both sure to make DJ's happy roun' the globe.
Overall, a very quality album to cop (which is highly recommended) which should not disappoint many if any.
If you thought their debut CD was worth while, then you'll love the latest since it surpasses the forerunner
which is not easily done when an artist debuts a hot CD, most typically crumble under the pressure to
be too creative and end up with a crappy record, but clearly not here, they keep it nappy to the fullest.
4 Planets.
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Good God Almighty
3. Nappy Roots Day
4. Roun' The Globe
5. Lac Dogs & Hogs
6. Sick & Tired
7. Twang
8. Leave This Morning ft. Raphael Saadiq
9. Work In Progress
10. Push On ft. Anthony Hamilton
11. No Good
12. These Walls
13. War / Peace
14. Roll Again
15. What Cha Gonna Do? (The Anthem)
16. Light & Dark
17. Outro
18. Roun' The Globe (Collipark Remix)
Skrabble Rating:
4 out of 5 Planets
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