Monday, April 1, 2013

Bishop Nehru- Nehruvia


I've been reviewing some classic albums so now it's time to see what these new cats are up to. I'm happy these young bloods are making music again. Just 5, 6 years ago we had soulja boi running shit, even my mom loved that song. Pretty sure that wasn't the demographic he was aiming for but whatever. Over the last year or so teenagers have been coming out with a throwback sound to them, with Joey Bada$$ and the pro era crew being at the forefront of the movement, rip Capital Steez. Now i don't know about Bishop Nehru too much but i think he is around 15 or 16 and he actually sounds like he could fit right into pro era but he's doing his own thing. I like the name paying homage to Tupac's character in Juice and Nehru which is some Hindu spiritual thing. So let me see what he is all about.

Ratings right here:
0- never playing this shit again or just hitting the next button
1- if it comes on i'll let it play
2- i go out of my way to play this

1) The Music Intro
Well right off the bat he tells us he is 16. I'm liking MF DOOM intro talking about how hip hop and the rapper now stands for something completely different then what it originally was. I get that times change and there should be evolution, don't get me wrong, but the essence should not change. The problem is the essence of hip hop has been interpreted in so many ways that it really is an abstract thought now but what do we expect when French Montana, yes that is his actual name, is ruling the top of the charts now. Bishop is saying that he is going to bring hip hop back to its pure form which is lyricism, beats, and great storytelling so we'll see how this project progresses. 1

2) Light Leaks
The kid's flow is on point. He has one of the better flows in the game right now and i'm not even trying to hype him up or anything like that. He has a cool, smooth, laid back delivery that make it seem like the words are coming out effortless. Bishop's voice sounds like if Joey Bada$$ was super baked. The second track was produced by a guy named Ghost McGrady and it is one of the few original productions on the project. I honestly didn't even know it was an original beat until i saw the dudes name on the tracklist. I just assumed it was an MF Doom beat because it fit in perfectly with the sound they're going for. The beat wasn't anything mind blowing like that but it was solid. 2

3) Fickle Mind$
Back to back Ghost McGrady tracks and this dude has a niche. He definitely is immersed in 90's hip hop culture because his beats sound like they were plucked straight out of that era. The audio quality sounds like some amateur shit but i'm going to attest that to them being kids and not having money. Once Ghost gets his hands on some better quality i feel like this dude is going to be a player on these 90's revival projects. I'll be honest, i have no idea what he is spitting about but his flow is so on point it makes up for it. I think he is talking about staying away from vices like drugs, the corner, and bitches by doing music but at the same time he keeps talking about stealing a dudes chick or something like that. I mean the he is still going through puberty so what else is he going to talk about. Yall gotta help me decipher this one if there is anything at all to decipher. 1

4) Lemon Grass
Here is just some young dude stuff. Bishop is just bragging. You can already tell the dude has lyrics but he isn't really talking about anything. This track, which is an MF Doom beat by the way, sees our protagonist on some bragging, fuck you guys who think i'm too young stuff. Once he experiences life some more and has some stuff to talk about he is going to be a beast. It's funny because the mainstream rappers talk about nothing as well yet don't have the skills someone half their age does. It's just that those rappers talk about a certain kind of nothing while Bishop talks about the good kind of nothing if you get what i'm saying. 1

5) Misruled Order feat Que Hampton
At first i was like how the hell did this kid get Smoke Dza on the track? But then i looked at the listing and saw it was a guy named Que Hampton, what? I assume he is cool with Bishop and Ghost McGrady, another Ghost track by the way. I always do this. Right when i knock someone for something, the next track makes me eat my words. I might have to go back over the previous tracks to see if anything went over my head. Bishop talking about police brutality. Black kids or kids in the ghetto can't go out and enjoy some of the best years of their life because cops got napoleon complexes and strive to assert their little power. Although i believe there are some corrupt as shit cops, idk man, it's hard to fathom how much fault is on either side for the police-civilian relations. Best line on the tape so far "i used to circuit cities until i found the best buy," one of the best lines i've heard all year. As for Que Hampton's verse, it was ehhh. Nothing special. Let's just say if i see a track with a Que Hampton feature, that's not an automatic listen. Great song though especially form the perspective of someone so young. 2

6) Y.E.T.
Right when i say Bishop doesn't really talk about nothing he puts together two straight songs. Bruh is making me look like an idiot. What can someone so young actually talk about. How about his crush. That's what he is talking about and does it in a way to not make it seem like he is a stalker, *cough J. Cole*. All guys and girls had that high school crush and shit that we dreamed about but never could get with so it's something everyone could relate to. And it is just an example of dude talking about what he knows. He probably doesn't have much going on with his life except normal high school shit and he is translating his everyday experiences on to the paper. Keep on swinging for the fences homie, especially if you bound to keep doing this music thing...bitches will flock. My favorite track so far right up with the previous one. 2

7) Languages
Another one of his freestyles. Just going off about nothing. Now i know it seems like i'm making a big deal about him just spitting about nothing but i'm not about it because his flow is ridiculous and it's a mixtape. Nowadays mixtapes are treated like albums and artists put a lot of time and effort in to them which is much appreciated don't get me wrong, but they are mixtapes for a reason. They are for an artist to flex their skills and that's what the kid is doing. Nothing special but dam the dude's flow is crazy. 1

8) MoonStars feat Raz Fresco
First off nice little shout out to Katt Williams inspired hook "This shit right here nigga." Get your life together Katt, even though you were a mediocre at best comedian no one wants to see another person get their life destroyed by drugs. Swallow pride and get some help. Some dude named Raz Fresco not only hit the track first but laced it as well. I actually like this beat than the three previous Ghost McGrady beats but that may be because it is different than the rest of the tape. They're acknowledging that what they're doing isn't anything different but shit they still have some stand out stuff. I'm not going to be an idiot and say that all that has been done in hip hop has been done but it is damn hard to come up with something new. The key is the young cats breaking from the status quo and going through trial and error. Not everyone is going to love it at first but if they can perfect the sound, then shit who will be able to deny it. I fuck with the track btw. 2

9) Her Ballad feat Dymeclin
Now Bishop getting his women empowerment on. He is saying he knows women get beat but that shit doesn't go unnoticed. Women do say shit to  get slapped but that does not mean a women should actually ever get hit by a man/boyfriend/husband. It is a no win situation for the guy. You just end up looking like an asshole and no one is impressed that you can put a beat down on your girl. It's not like there are a bunch of Chyna's walking around. So if we ever see a report that X-Pac was beating on Chyna we might actually believe it was in self defense or a fight for the tv because the woman towers over him and probably has more testosterone running through her body. Plus it would actually be a fair fight with Chyna having the strength advantage but X Pac having the speed ad quickness advantage so its a toss up between the two. Anyways good song with a great message. 2

10) S.S.S.
I like this one. To me it speaks on the irony of the hood. People in the hood always talk about "fuck the government" and all that shit but look what actually happens. By doing what they want and working so hard to not conform they are falling into the perceived trap of the government by killing themselves off and going to jail and whatnot. It isn't the way to live. We don't have to conform necessarily but definitely have to think on how to live our lives. Everyone is different so there is a different formula for each person but the thing is everyone has to think. Think about the future and where you wanna be and if decisions being made today will lead you to that plan. Have an outline on life and do your best to follow it. 1

11) Sweetlips
Bishop is back on his falling in love for his crush thing. His hooks need some serious work because this one is straight trash. "Girl i swear you the cutest to me" is repeated about 20 million times and shit just gets annoying. Sounds like something a 16 year Big Sean would say. However he does give very good descriptions in his lyrics. He puts you right there with him in his mind. Bishop is very detailed and tells us everything we need to know about the girl, why she is the cutest and how much she means to him whether she knows it or not. Needs to cool it on the love talk though. Claiming he in love even though he's 15. It called a crush and hormones homie. He'll get the difference as he gets older. 1

12)  Welcome feat Que Hampton
I wasn't feeling this track at all. 12 tracks in and the first skip worthy track. I just feel like i heard this track three times on the tape already. Not even a mediocre Que Hampton verse could save it, what? 0

13) Elder Blossoms
Right here the homie is just flexxin flow. Not my favorite way to end the tape because again i feel like i've heard this about several times already. It's an MF Doom sample so if anything just listen to it for the beat. I think the dude just ran out of shit to say and came up repeating himself is something lil homie has to learn. He ain't a bishop yet, he still a priest. Another solid project and he can rightfully claim the bishop title and he keeps on progressing up to arch bishop. 0

 Final Grade: B-

It's weird because i like projects in this 12 track range but like i said i feel like he just ran out of things to say. Maybe if he shortened it to 10 it could have gotten a B+ maybe even an A- but it felt like it went on too long despite clocking it at just shy of 42 minutes. Dude definitely has potential. I kept gushing over the kid's flow and it's forreal. He just needs to diversify it up a bit. He has a comfort zone but he needs to expand that zone. He is still a young dude so he has unlimited potential because the talent is there obviously with his lyrical and storytelling ability. At the same token his age is his biggest weakness because he hasn't had the experiences people even a couple years older have had. My favorite track were Misruled Order, Light Leaks, and Y.E.T which all commonly were actual songs and not just him flexxin his bars. Even though i liked it when he did the latter, the ones that get remembered are the ones with structure/a plan. Yo i'm definitely looking forward to his next project because i'm excited to see how much he will have grown as both an artist and a person. Looking for new shit happening plus to see if he can diversify his already dam good flow. And hopefully either G-Mac and Raz Fresco can make project length beats or he needs to hook up with some producers so he doesn't need to be rapping over Doom and Madlib beats anymore. Not only that but the kid needs access to better quality. I'm willing to bet this was recorded in Ghost McGrady's room. If you like Joey Bada$$ you'll probably like Bishop Nehru. And if you didn't check the Light Leaks video the dude looks like a straight up baby if you were wondering.

ANTHM- Debbie


If you have a younger sister/brother/cousin/little person you have seen grow up as a person you will like this song. Produced by Blu and watch out for ANTHM in the future.

Elzhi- Fire



Elzhi's an OG in the game don't sleep on him. He was battling Eminem, T3, and Proof back in the day.

And shout out to Andy Enfield for getting the USC job. Thank you because your wife will probably get back in to modeling. Sorry Florida Gulf Coast, the 15 minutes are up.

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