Surprise released last Friday, Little Brother's Phonte is back with his first album in almost 7 years, No News Is Good News. A self-proclaimed "OG's OG", Phonte has delivered a low-key rap effort that's sure to please the underground fans. It's rappers like this that preserve boom-bap and traditional hip-hop as it ages further and further, and Phonte's 34-minute statement is clear proof that lyrics can still be great in 2018.
NNIGN is a meditation on blackness, family, and hip-hop. It's hard being a lyrical rapper in the age of ignorance, and Phonte is well aware of this heading into his album, opening the second track 'So Help Me God' with the lines "They say they want bars but it's unfounded / cause when they get bars n***as be dumbfounded". That doesn't deter him though, and on NNIGN bars are his greatest strength. Over 15 years following The Listening, Phonte's pen has aged gracefully, losing none of his personality or insight. He discusses the aforementioned topics in spades across the album, leaving deep impressions behind with his powerful words. On 'Pastor Tigallo', for example, a great track where Phonte again denounces modern-day hip-hop, reckons "Do ya rap diligence / Do ya backpack, trap rap and ya Dilla shit / I'mma be a gentleman and show you sentimental n***as what the fundamentals is", and those fundamentals are shown with the sincerity his lyricism shown again and again on this album. 'Expensive Genes' is a short but eye-opening single-verse track, that in details explores living black, and aging black. It's not even two minutes long, but almost every line is this track is worth quoting; "It’s like 40 years old is 3/4 life / Our biggest fears were shots or armed robbery / Now the biggest fears are clots and oncology", "Seven days in a week / Eat a steak every plate it's a feast / Watch your weight no mistakes in the least / Or else you too will dig a grave with your teeth", or the fantastic line that ends the song, "I’ve seen the dreams of fiends and scenes of war / Inside my mind it ain’t nothin' serene it’s called Blackness / The most expensive gene of all". A meditative but very real song, it's a throwback to when hip-hop songs were written to carry messages, thoughts and advice, and is a poignant moment for the rapper. Family is also a heavy topic addressed by Phonte, particularly on the track 'Cry No More'. His Mother and Father as points of discussion, he laments the passing of his Father at 54, then shares his worries about his Mother and his own sons. It's very personal, and Phonte openly criticizes his Mother's smoking, subtly reveals the reason his Father passed, and touches on his own struggles with the problem ("Put my pops in the ground and hit the repass / and ate the same shit that killed him" followed by "And Pops, my health is doing pretty good despite you / I try so I don't die at 54 just like you") and offers his sons a small bit of advice preparing them to enter the world on their own: "My sons look at me these days and think Im certified / Preparing them for a world they'll be deserted by / Internalized black men if you get a teaspoon of compassion that's more than double the serving size". The way he talks about this, and other topics on the album, make it feel as if he's talking not to listeners but the people around him and himself, making the album feel more an album for himself than anybody else. But rather than detracting from the listenability, this helps Phonte convey his insight and wisdom in a much more natural way, as we get to observe the way he thinks rather than be told by him directly. Musically, NNIGN uses nothing more than the bare minimum it needs to succeed. The instrumentals are consistent and easily listenable, but are low on flair and excitement - the palette usually consists of quiet drums, piano, and a few synthesizers. A good combination, but with a lack of diversity the beats tend to blend together into a continuous, very similar-sounding repetition. This eliminates the chances of dud instrumentals, but leaves the opportunity for highlights few and far between. 'Pastor Tigallo' succeeds in this regard, backed with beautiful keyboards and horns, a great punchy bass-line, (also included is the great guest singing on the chorus), & 'Change Of Mind', is the most contemporary-sounding beat on the album, which works well for the Freddie Gibbs verse dropped at the start of the track. But unfortunately, these are perhaps the only truly memorable beats on this album. None are remotely unlikeable, but the beats do sometimes leave a bit to be desired. A more varied backdrop, perhaps with instrumentals more potently catered towards the various subject matter of each track, could have worked wonders for NNIGN. Even so, if you're a Little Brother fan, or even just into lyrical, old-school hip-hop, Phonte has delivered a project you're sure to enjoy. It's to the point, has much to say for it's such short run time, and is pleasant throughout. Whilst not the most grandiose or ambitious of statements, the stripped-back approaches works for the type of album Phonte wanted to make - he had a lot to get off his chest, and as a rapper from the early 2000's, still sounds great doing it. Topics close to the heart have always been a powerful tool for him ever since he debuted with Little Brother, and on NNIGN he's only grown more comfortable with it as he approaches his 40's. 71/100 |
201820162015Scores0-30 = Bad
31-49 = Sub-par 50-60 = Average 61-70 = Decent 71-80 = Good 81-89 = Great 90-99 = Incredible 100 = Perfect Archives
September 2018
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