Nolan the Ninja
F-ck the Hype.

 ★★★

In recent years I have not been really in touch with the Detroit hip hop scene besides maybe some Danny Brown and Elzhi. The thing about Detroit is that its artists create some of the grittiest and realistic descriptions of their daily lives. Nolan the Ninja really channels that feeling and aesthetic in this EP. 

I used to be a pretty big Eminem fan, obviously he changed not only the Detroit scene but hip hop and general. And as my love for him has faded, I have moved to more politically motivated artists. The good thing about Nolan, who is pretty underground (I've never heard anyone mention him), is that he carries Em's passion and delivery. It's aggressive and relentless. 

The production is just as hard and gritty, the vocal layers and lo-fi boom baps give it a real old school aesthetic. A lot like this new soundcloud wave that's recreating the Memphis scene, Nolan is helping rebirth Detroit with a mesh of other inspirations. The ones that immediately come to mind are Nas and Mobb Deep, I'm pretty sure there's even samples from both in this. Also great to see Nolan producing his own album, I think the textures are greatly inspired by some Earl Sweatshirt beats too. 

I think what really holds this back for me is the sort of stagnation this project contains. I wish there was more variation or different inflections in perhaps the way he rapped. Although this is just his beginning, I could see Nolan adapting and expanding in the near future. 

Favorite Song: Grotesque 

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