$ebbuku - Nomad
Nomad is the exciting debut album from Norfolk’s finest alternative hip hopper and rapper $ebukku. Featuring eleven brand new tracks, it is the sound of 2021 and finds him continuing to experiment and express himself as he peels away the boundaries in full on cruise control, gliding across the musical genres as easy as opening a can of beans.
The album has been partially produced by talented producer Junior100, a musician in his own right. They started working together in 2019 and they make a fantastic duo with their collaboration bringing out the darkness and its resulting twisted lyrics to express both pain and ideology. He produced two tracks on the album Blood Rain and Super Villain and there are plans to release a collaboration EP later in the year.
Dark clouds descend during Bed of Nails, but it opens up with some deliciously delicate piano restrains that really catch you out as the mood changes rather dramatically to tell the story of an emotional downfall. It finds the artist laying himself out there baring his soul, it’s very graphic and is incredibly deep and gritty.
Loving On My Own could’ve been written by Kurt Cobain, it’s a hauntingly deep story, a song packed with real emotion and beauty. Written after splitting up with his then girlfriend, he says it was one of the hardest parts of his life and he just had to get it down in a song. It describes the relationship and resulting breakdown of their once connection, where there is no longer a feeling of mutual love. You can hear every bit of emotion in his voice.
Even Angels Cry has a strong indie feel to it, it’s very edgy and from the streets and has the blood of Richard Archer (Hard Fi) running all the way through it. I really wasn’t expecting this musical experience while listening to Nomad. But this for me is the real beauty of the album, it has so many twists and turns and raised eyebrow moments as you listen on intently.
Super Villain starts of like an old Japan track (Ghosts) with its distorted bell and a tape stop, then explodes fully into life, it’s a very spectacular and spooky vibe bringing out a darker version of $ebbuku. It was written while in a depressive state, wanting to get out some anger and at the same time release the more 'underground' version of himself, taking him back to the roots of his musical soul. It’s a more aggressive style of rap and enables him to become a 'Super Villain' of himself.
Nomad will at times really surprise regular $ebukku followers with some of the diversity that runs throughout its duration as it tilts from hip hop, rap and indie, he is sounding very wise and well beyond his almost seventeen years, this is such an energetic and refreshingly bright new sound, check him out and remember where you heard of him first.
Nomad is released on March 7th 2021 two years to the day from when he was discharged from the Dragonfly Unit for depression and at risk of suicide.
8/10
