Saturday, 5 October 2013

Review of "Nostalgic 64" by Denzel Curry


Forget those dumbed-down dudes in A$AP Mob. This is how trap rap is done properly.

Up-and-coming, Floridian rapper – Denzel Curry – manages to pinpoint the niche between high brow and low brow. Beneath lashings of ultraviolence and excessive barrages of n-bombs lie moments of clever imagery that prove Curry is more than your run-of-the-mill Lil Wayne. Not only does his lyricism demonstrate this, but so does his flow. He has speed, clarity and more importantly rhythmical variation. The instrumentation, however, is what really captivated me on my first listen. Creepy horrorcore meets Nintendo, topped with skittery trap drumming. The first half of the album tests the subwoofers. Bass drums are left to resonate like muffled explosions. The second half meanwhile takes the listener above the clouds, incorporating sweet chords and distant, echoing synths.

This is an album that I can see myself being hooked to for a while. I think Curry shows real potential. If he can improve upon his vocal tone, which has a slightly generic feel to it, he could really make a name for himself. 


TRACK TASTER: