“This is space age luxury rap…”
For those who know Nez & Rio one thing is always certain and that’s the fact that “the beats are slammin”, but it would’ve been impossible to predict what the southside producers would have up their sleeves for their debut EP Let’s Get Ill (releasing 4/1/11). Typically when a producer or procution team releases an album or mixtape you find tons of features and little to no lyrical presence of the actual name on the cover. Nez & Rio decided to dead that notion and step in the booth to lace their beats with lyrics of their own with little to no assistance from anybody claiming to be an MC by trade. The EP spans 7 tracks, which is really only 5 songs being that they slotted one spot for an intro and another for a clean version of one of the songs off the project. For those who don’t know Nez & Rio, the two have production credits notched with a bevvy of MCs such as Naledge, Freddie Gibbs, Mikkey Halsted, Vic Mensa and more. The duo’s production style very much fits their personalities, if you meet either Nez or Rio at first glance they come off as well polished and sophisticated but the more you know them the more you realize that they’re wild as hell. The sound for this specific EP is extremely fresh and crisp with a grimey hood undertone. Releasing this Friday Nez & Rio’s Let’s Get Ill lets listeners in to the minds of two very talented artists who are truly giving listeners everything they’ve got in an effort to showcase their talents and growth as both producers and songwriters.
The intro to Let’s Get Ill is very short simple and to the point as it builds anticipation for the rest of the EP. The song begins with an applause which fades into a synth heavy spacy build up. Not a word is said as the beat climaxes directly into the second song “That New Shit” and the show begins…
Read more about the EP after the jump…The first song on an album is very pivotal these days in music, the main reason in my opinion being the ADD nature of listeners now due to iTunes and the internet. We live in a culture of knee jerk reactions and little room for second chances, so now more than ever it is important to start a project with something undeniable that grabs attention of the listener and forces them to listen to what the artist has to say. ‘That New Shit’ is just that for Nez & Rio. Being someone who is familiar with the two both as producers and people “That New Shit” really piqued my musical interest. Not only is the beat a level up from a lot of what I’ve heard in the past from Nez & Rio but these two are actually rapping! Nez, like on all of the songs, starts off smoothly claiming “Y’all stackin dollar bills, I’m stackin’ gold Bricks. Jackin my style, thinkin’ ain’t noticed it” with a bravado that carries on throughout his verse. Nez compares himself to “Iverson verse Jordan breaking ankles” stating that he’s “gunning cuz I can’t lose.” If anything surprised me the most in this song it was the fact that so early in the project Nez & Rio demonstrate a grasp on elements of MCing that I don’t even think a lot of “rappers” utilize or even understand anymore. The two use extended metaphors, well timed breath control and an impeccable hook and seamlessly integrate them into styles you hear from all the radio & internet stars. If there was one song I would use to hook listeners in on the EP I think they made the right selection.
“Beat Knock” was actually the first song I heard from Let’s Get Ill probably about a year ago and when I originally heard it I was somewhat perplexed. Although the beat itself didn’t really blow my mind at first there was still something about the way they put the song together was very pleasing. Vic Spencer’s supporting vocals on the hook give the song some depth and a much needed rougher sounding voice giving it a very Dungeon Family/Organized Noize feel. The question at the time that I had originally heard it and shared it with some friends was what was going to happen with a third verse or if there would even be one. That question was answered when Nez & Rio not only added a third verse they also tweaked the beat just a little until the ensuing chorus and eventual fade out. Although Beat Knock isn’t their most lyrically sound track on the EP it is definitely something that could get a club hype.
Continuing with the onslaught of swag & braggadocio is “Good Hood” which features Nez & Rio boasting over a vocal sample demanding “Louder!” Although this is the shortest song on the EP I can definitely picture a lot of people rocking with this joint. Rio states “Yo shit got a n**** yawnin” amidst the various claims that he and Nez are musically killing the game which provides a perfect lead into my favorite joint on the EP “The New Style”.
I first heard the beat to “The New Style” a few months back at a Sulaiman & Vic Spencer session that Nez dropped through and the reaction in the room was CRAZY. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd of 3 people react the way we did upon listening and the smile on Nez’s face indicated that he knew he had one. At the time I heard this I knew that the beat was for the album but was pretty unaware of the fact that Nez & Rio were to be the only one rapping on the album. Had I had known that at the time, I may have tried to advise them to feature someone over the beat or even hold on to it in hopes of landing it in the hands of a burgeoning star artist, but boy am I happy none of that happened. Nez & Rio both rap what I believe is by far their best verses on “The New Style” and I have admittedly listened to this song 50+ times already as a result. At the end of Nez’s verse he states “…they applaud the new heroes, kinda like the Matrix but only with 2 Neos” which leads into Rio providing what I believe may be the best show of rapping ability on the EP. Rio KILLS this joint, he opens up very strong but it’s when the second part of his verse kicks in after a vocal sample break that he truly shines. Upon stating “Fuck a paper plane, I’m flying Dutch” he carries a metaphor and story that may not be easily detectable at first listen yet once you understand it you feel not only proud for yourself for catching on but for the artist’s ability to paint a picture in such a way. Once again this song leaves me wondering why 2 producers who I’ve NEVER heard really rap before have such a strong grasp on things like voice inflection, metaphor usage as well as very well developed flows throughout the album.
“Swagg To The Ceiling” is the final track on the EP and also the song featured on their website and bandcamp as the lead in to the project itself and has been featured on WGCI’s Go Ill Radio in past weeks. Much in the same vein as “Beat Knock” and “Louder” this joint features a more radio and club friendly simple but not stupid feel to it, even despite the excessive use of the word “swag”. Actually Nez does a pretty good job explaining himself in his verse stating “I say the word swag simply for the fun of it. Can’t stop saying it, cuz I have a ton of it.” “Swagg To The Ceiling” provides a thesis for Nez & Rio and the whole project once again showcasing them as producers, artists and a brand to both casual listeners and those within the industry.
It’s not often that I’m pleasantly surprised by music anymore but Let’s Get Ill definitely did that for me, it left me thinking a lot about the future of not only the artists who created the project but the many other people I see claiming that Rapper or Producer as a profession. I’m not going to go out on a limb and make any stupid comparisons or proclamations based on this one small body of work but I will say that Nez & Rio definitely proved to me that they deserve to get serious looks for not only their production but their songwriting and even rapping abilities as well. Like I alluded to before I think that this EP can be used as a tool for Nez & Rio to sell themselves to the industry as well as build a fanbase amongst those who just listen to music for pleasure. I definitely recommend “Let’s Get Ill” to anyone who’s looking for something new to listen to this spring and into the summer.
Swag
Nez & Rio – Swagg To The Ceiling
Let’s Get Ill releases Friday April 1st and you can find it here or Nez & Rio’s Band Camp site. Included in the advance that I got was a clean version of “Swagg To The Ceiling” which I’m not sure will be on the actual EP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw6bZdwJl8Q
If you dig Chicago hip hop, check this out…
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i like this joint alot! good shit fellas
this beat is garbage
This shit is cold
These dudes are dope as fuck…where’s the download link to the ep?