Hip hop and rap seem to be at a crossroads in recent years. The single-verse muttering rappers of the mid-to-late 2010s seem to be on the decline, and the genre has split into two camps: the smooth, stylized verse barons like Jack Harlow They call back the golden age of rap a'la Snoop Doggand the super fast Mac Miller followers like it Megan Thee Stallion that are articulate and precise but with a little less style. A select few rappers can do both; Nana Bangz is one of them.
With an aesthetic and channeling completely from the late 90s Lil' Kim energy on steroids, Nana's verses are as tight as they come and her freestyle game matches her huge performance personality. With her first singles released in 2018, it seems like Nana came out the door with a well-developed style and an ability to wrap her verses around the beat with a skill that takes many artists decades. From her intro song called “Show Me Love” she laid an impressive foundation, things only got better from there as Nana continues to perfect her craft. From 2021's “Free Britney” to the roughly 15 tracks she released in 2022 and 2023, Nana continued to showcase her diverse style and mastery of the microphone.
Nana's first song in 2024 is “Alive”, another example of her ability to change style and create all kinds of verses, even within the same song. Channel the aggression of lady of wrath with party acumen and dark vocal timbre or foxy brown, “Alive” sees Nana switch from a soft verse style to angry and heavy to fast lyrics, all in the space of about a minute. On top of that, the production of “Alive” is quite different, with a classic string sample floating over the beat while one of Nana's most aggressive lyrical assaults to date plays around her. It is clear that the contrast serves a purpose, as the juxtaposition of the melodic music serves to highlight the heaviness of the verse.
With her solid voice, vocabulary and verse, it seems only a matter of time before Nana Bangz is discovered for the talent she has, but that doesn't seem to matter to the born rapper. A musician to the core, one of the most compelling arguments for her love of hip hop and her dedication to her craft is found in a video from last year of her street performance in New Orleans. With her music videos so stylized, this performance video with nothing but a drummer for accompaniment showcases not only Nana's incredible performance skills but also her true love for the verse. Anyone with that passion and talent is a star wherever they go.
“Alive” is now available and can be streamed on Spotify. Watch the video for their latest song, “Yay, Energy!” at Nana Bang'z Youtube channel.
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