“Nobu” is a track that almost, almost comes through with the familiarity of a number of recent releases that have torn down the barriers between hip hop and rap. However, the further you get into this single, the more any and all comparisons start to fall away. The song evolves into something incredibly heavy and smooth all at once. The production is superb, firstly – the soundscape is detailed and complex yet everything appears so connected and complete. It’s difficult, if not impossible, for many producers to successfully fuse the dreamlike and the hard-hitting. In this case though, something unusual and striking has been created.
“Nobu” is a track that effectively fuses the mellow ambiance of alternative music with something undeniably confident and classically hip hop. The opening moments of instrumentation lay a calm foundation for the lyricism and snippets of melody that follow. The first time you hear the leading vocal it’s in the form of the hook, so the signature sound of the piece makes itself known and gives you something to vibe to from the offset. Following that, the rap verse comes into play, showcasing a subtle yet characterful performance that varies in flow throughout and underlines a seemingly limitless range of abilities. All of this is detail though, the track itself is a complete experience – a single few minutes of listening that make for the perfectly chilled out good vibes required to see you through the night.
Structurally the track is really interesting. As stated, the beat begins in a subtle and delicate way, but over the space of almost three minutes the soundscape progresses as this uniquely detailed story. The beat is superb, really you notice this more and more as things move along. The intro draws you in with a certain relaxed yet slightly dark vibe, then the leading vocal unfolds, the personal storytelling, the characterful voice. And the instrumentation develops into the more distorted and almost chaotic. This is, in hindsight, the perfect build up for the power of the hook section that follows.
Structurally, the song reflects everything about its underlying sentiment. The complex and unpredictable evolution of the soundscape reflects the dark and unsettled feelings that come through in the lyrics, all of which leads powerfully towards what is a thoroughly effective and memorable hook. As an artist, songwriter, and producer, the Dcapz is undeniably creative and expressive. The originality is sky high, as is the professionalism, and that’s a mighty combination.
