Dallas' own emcee Nowaah the Flood has treated the hip-hop scene to another salty surprise by dropping his 23rd EP out of nowhere on Bandcamp. Since his first EP "Trill Life Mathematiks" in the summer of 2018, which came out simultaneously with Nas' "NASIR" fully produced by Ye (the artist who was once Kanye West), Nowaah has not stopped. The man has since put no less than 19 EPs on the map along with "The Nowaah & the Dewer's" debut album and about six full-length albums. Personal favorites of mine are the DirtyDiggs-produced "Private Stock," the collaboration with Estee Nack "Planted Seeds," "The Infallible," the hard-hitting "Respectfully" produced by Stu Bangas, "Right Over Left" and its sequel by Giallo Point, "Crème de la Crème" produced by DJ D-Styles, "Sudan Samurai Scrolls" by Kyo Itachi, and more recently "Plans of the Diligent" which was released last Thanksgiving along with "Beluga." Giallo Point is back with "The Anomaly" and of course I couldn't pass that up.
In the intro track "Afwaan," we hear no drums, but rather a reflection on how Ye copied the "Trill Life Mathematiks" artwork for NASIR, just as Maxo Kream reproached Ye's resemblance to "Punken" artwork for "Bully." "The Mental," on the other hand, opts for an old-school, boom bap vibe where Nowaah takes us into his science and raw lyrics. "Hate to Be You" showcases heavy tubas and bagpipes as he admits his mental state is on edge, while "Sazon" stands out with the unadulterated Shaman flow.
As we enter the second half of "The Anomaly," "Fortune 500" brings to light the hard life of an elusive artist who does not hesitate for a moment to declare the truth to God. The nameless menace is reflected in "Menace Anthem" where Nowaah lays down a dark mix of hardcore hip-hop and boom bap that is both lyrically and musically crushing. With "The Meek," he lets it be known that he doesn't let party members overtime him and more often than not ends up winning battles. The closing track "Revelation of the Sundanese" feels like a work in progress, with a verse that continues into a half-assed outro.
Still, there is little to complain about on this EP. In just 20 minutes, Nowaah does what he does best, and that is produce raw underground hip-hop reminiscent of the quality of "Plans of the Diligent" and "Beluga." Giallo Point provides a steady mix of drumless beats and classic boom bap, while Nowaah thrives solo. Unlike "Beluga," which had only one feature, and "Plans of the Diligent" which featured no guests at all, Nowaah shows he can excel on his own as well.
In summary, this release is so salty that it scores against 9/10. Don't miss this one, as Nowaah the Flood proves once again why he is a heavyweight in the underground scene. What do you guys think? Let us know!
#hhz #houhet salt #hiphop #nu #rap #nowaah #theanomaly
