There’s nothing like finding a song you weren’t looking for. Most days I’m control of the songs I’m listening to through my playlists or precise searching for artists. I’m not a pandora listener who listens to everything. I listen to smooth jazzy instrumentals and like my raps to be gangster AF. I think producers nowadays are doing fantastic job of stretching samples or beats out so that the emcee can shine weaving in and out of the instrumentation. I used to focus on the rapper but now I focus on the producer. NugLife’s production is razor sharp and the mixing and mastering is on point. This here below is beautiful.
What I like most about NugLife is how he has built a brand around his beats and now I feel his emceeing is leveling up on the low. The dotted line to ALC is hard to dismiss but I think Nug is to ALC like Quik is to Dre. NugLife is the DJ Quik of beats to me. You do realize that Quik is the best rapper producer of all time though right? The others that can be on my side of the debate are Black Milk, ALC, Q-Tip, DOOM, Cole, and Mac Miller. But Quik? Dude was dude everything at a time when artists weren’t doing everything.
I see similarities in NugLife and Quik because of the way they both put on for other artists. But with Quik and NugLife tracks, it’s truly about the beats and finding emcees that can bob and weave within the tracks. Songs like this with Rocky G just goooooo.
It’s kind of like when Playa Hamm would be out here flexing with Quik and Eazy. Playa Hamm might have my favorite verse on that track because he’s on some straight pimp shit over a straight g-funk beat from Quik. Quik proved that his production could live without lyrics as well at a time when producers weren’t doing that. Quik’s Grooves on his albums were always ones I went straight for.
If NugLife rolled out some Nug’s Grooves I think it would be a dope nod to the pioneer of the west coast sound, DJ Quik. I wish all of these dope producers would just put their beat tapes or the instrumental albums out. I love rap and all but during the 9-5, to focus I need beats. If I had the instrumental to “FIND MY WAY” I might do 5x the amount of work I’m doing right now. The horn is therapeutic as it forces the listener to breathe in and out slowly. Those drums are precise. Very purposeful and then only after the beat has been dissected you get smooth verses over the drum. This is not a vibe, it’s a wave.
Nug’s new album is out on all streaming platforms and the project is thorough. Lots of dope cuts that get me ready for a summer of bumping Cali tracks. The album is called NUGLIFE 2024 and features like 30 emcees who all spit. It’s hard to pick a favorite emcee on a track but Vel Nine’s verse on this is absolutely nasty. The intro verse and the beat build things up nicely and then Vel comes in like a young Jean Grae carving up the track. Vel is Kali Uchis with the vibe and is one hit away from being globally known. It’s always cool to watch an emcee growing in popularity and see how they handle the added looks. This is where a great producer-emcee package is so valuable. Nug and Vel are the new Gang Starr sprinkled with some Pete Rock & CL Smooth with a dash of Murs & 9th.
Go support good independent hip hop. Buy into the whole experience. If you do, we’re about to have an amazing summer with performances up and down the Cali coast.