The first month of 2017 brought us a gift of great music with his newest release Nobody Famous. The meaning of the album title is self-explanatory, as he desires humility, no matter the amount of attention he receives. I see the title in another way as well.

In a season where trap music is the go-to style and an easy way to go viral, Sanders intentionally makes music that he wants to make. The production that this VA based artist chose was very East Coast driven, which will always be a favorite of mine! So I also see the title of this album as a display of an authentic sound, instead of a desire for fame.

The album begins with the track “Sum’n Good’s Gonna Happen” as an intro to the lyricism and authenticity to follow. I really appreciated the respect and care he showed the late DJ Official and his family, as he recounted how Fish didn’t look down on his past music with profanity, which is a common theme with artists who talk about him.

As you listen through the album, two things you can really appreciate are his level of lyricism, as well as the smooth and effortless way he flows with the beat. Two tracks from the album that illustrates this for me the most are “Children Of The Cloth” and “Powin’ Up.” There are very few in CHH that give me that kind of feeling, and Eshon is one that quickly comes to mind. His flow is so effortless that even if he wasn’t as lyrical, he may be able to get away with it because it’s relaxing to listen to.

His lyricism isn’t all about how deep he can make you go in figuring out what he just said, but it’s filled with wit and ingenuity, and you’re able to relate to who he is as a man. In songs like “Heathen” and “Daddy Duties,” you’re able to see how he feels like a heathen at times, as well as his experiences as a father. Other songs like “Smile” and “Know About” are filled with his desires for his family and memories of his life growing up and as a believer. The wit of his lyrics can be seen on “Daddy Duties” as he highlights four words relating to Star Wars and the movies:

I’m under the sun, the papi’s second to none, it’s like a cheat code/The first time better than the last cinema/cuz I set up something better for the sequel/the blocks like Star Wars, and not cuz of all black shottas/but cuz they got C3 PO’ed, but peep though/Cinema, sequel, Star Wars, the force kinda’ strong in this brother/that’s hardcore

Like I mentioned earlier the production heavily favors the East Coast, with its soulful samples and hard-hitting drums, and all of the beats he chose fit him and the album very well! The only thing that I wish was done more was in regards to the mixing in some places. When you speak the letter ‘p’ or ‘b’ in a word, there can be extra noise around it that needs to be minimized, and it wasn’t. It’s not something that’ll affect you hearing what he has to say, but it is distracting.

Nobody Famous is a project that fans of Hip Hop will talk about, for many years to come, and to start 2017 off on such a ferocious note should cause anyone with future releases this year to make sure they’re coming correct. It is a classic in every sense of the word, and with the great news of him being signed to God Over Money made known at his album release recently, one can only wonder what the LORD will do next!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nobody-famous/id1194269969

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