In interviews, Connoisseur Ticaso, Nicholas Craven and Mike Shabb have all spoken to me about the influence of the Griselda collective on their current sound, a reinterpretation of the 1990s boom-bap that is characterized by beats constructed from samples (sampling) punctuated by powerful percussion.
A recent trend, however, sees the latter disappearing or being reduced to a minimum, a genre logically called drumless. The cadence of the voice and the samples then become the pillars of the room.
Today’s hip-hop lesson is also a preamble to introduce Estee Nack, one of the best rappers in this almost a capella style. Prolific, he has been releasing more than one album a year for about five years.
Nacksaw Jim Duggan however, is her first on the Griselda label. Westside Gunn, co-founder of this one, hasn’t hung up his microphone yet, but now considers himself more of a “curator”. Like an artistic director, he oversees, among other things, the choice of beats, collaborators and visuals. The albums Pray for HaitiMach-Hommy, and Kiss the Ringby Rome Streetz, are among his most accomplished works.
Like these, Nacksaw is highly cohesive and brings out the unique characteristics of its lead artist. In the case of Estee Nack, it is a flow authoritative, with a singular energy and authentic stories. The Lynn, Massachusetts MC paints images that are both vivid and raw. Of Dominican origin, he sprinkles his texts with Spanish.
The music is mainly provided by Griselda’s production team, namely Conductor Williams, Camoflauge Monk and Denny Laflare, then Crucial The Guillotine. Quebecer Rami Bizzle, from the excellent Planet Giza trio, also composed the track SpaceXone of the most successful of the 14.
At a time when many rap albums barely have a dozen songs, we find that Nacksaw stretch a little. BRAPthe previous one by Estee Nack produced by V Don — one of our favorites — was limited to 11 and is superior.
This type of rap is definitely not for everyone. THE beats may lack rhythm for some, while the rhymes may seem scattered. As far as we are concerned, it is the feeling of freedom combined with the attention to detail that charms us. Nacksaw is not a masterpiece, but is one of a kind.
Rap
Nacksaw Jim Duggan
Estee Nack
Griselda Records