Navy Blue – “The Sword & The Soaring” review

Brooklyn, New York skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model Navy Blue starting the week off with his 8th studio LP. Breaking out a decade ago off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer, he would go on to drop 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths before signing to Def Jam Recordings for his previous album Ways of Knowing produced by Budgie to critical acclaim. Coming off last summer’s Memoirs in Armour EP however, The Sword & The Sword has arrived as we reach the halfway point of the month.

“The Bloodletter” begins by hooking up a drumless piano from Chris Keys advising that you don’t have to die in order to live again whereas the only single “Orchards” takes the boom bap route instrumentally with some strings to talk about being on an other journey of self-discovery. “God’s Kingdom” produced by Graymatter gets back on the drumless vibes finding himself unable to cry lately since his uncle Carl passed while “Sunlight of the Spirit” soulfully talks about life being to beautiful to hide the way he’s living.

Moving on from there, “Guardadas” keeps it drumless calmly desiring for peace & recognition just before “My Heartbeat” heads for a jazzier boom bap direction talking about not being defined by who he’s living for soaring through an existential war. “Tale of the Truth” strips the drums once again trying to tone down the voices depriving him of his patience leading into the self-produced “Fight On” talking about love being the very thing he’s fighting for.

“Kindred Spirit” starts the 2nd half remembering the late Ka in light of his tragic passing 13 months earlier over a saxophone while “If Only…” brings a bluesy guitar in the fold apologizing for not returning calls due to falling back. “Illusions” maintains a drumless sound talking about looking high & low when he was high & low while “24 Gospel” featuring Earl Sweatshirt finds the 2 abstractly bodying a gospel sample that Animoss flipped.

To kick off The Sword & The Soaring’s final quarter, “Here & Now” jumps over a sampled piano for a couple minutes explaining his pain is where his day resides while Sebb Bash gives “Soul Investments” an appropriately soulful edge to it asks why he’s on with keeping lesser if he has more to gain. “Sharing Life blends these luscious keys & a flute talking about fatherhood while “The Phoenix” comes to the realization that the trials & tribulations have taught him he’s worthy of affection.

Navy Blue’s entire discography has been defined by his introspectively abstract lyricism & drumless production, but his newest album takes his use of music as a therapeutic outlet to newer territories having The Sword thematically representing an earthly tool used for the battle he’s cohesively describing or in this case grief & The Soaring symbolizing the heavenly council. The production on this one is soothingly peaceful handling only 25% of it himself & Ka would certainly be proud of the way he’s being honored if he was still here.

Score: 4.5/5

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Navy Blue – “Memoirs in Armour” review

This is the 10th EP from Brooklyn, New York skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model Navy Blue. Breaking through in 2015 off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer. He has since continued to turn heads in the underground scene by dropping 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths before signing to Def Jam Recordings for his previous album Ways of Knowing produced by Budgie to critical acclaim. Over a year later, he’s spilling Memoirs in Armour.

“Take Heed” begins with a euphoric instrumental from Budgie so Navy can tell everyone that’s listening right now that they should be taking notice whereas “Boulder” keeps the sampling going thanks to Chuck Strangers wishing he knew then what he knows as we stand today. “Low Threshold” kinda gives off a lo-fi vibe instrumentally talking about cancerous antics that leading him to the crypts while the self-produced “Slow” goes drumless to demonstrate his own metamorphosis.

Finishing the 1st half, “Basis” has this fresh soul flip to discuss having everything he wants & more prior to “Running Sand” hooking up a reversed loop to talk about progression being his sentence & his reflection being the opposition. “Red Roses” has to be my favorite track here from the Nicholas Craven beat to the lyrics weighing the cons when you sense pros just before “Time Slips” exuberantly accepts his shadow side. “Say the Word” looks for a push over a soulful instrumental from Graymatter & the drumless “La Noche” ends the EP hoping you find peace of mind on your own.

Soul Golden has to be my favorite EP that Navy has ever done, but I still found myself enjoying Memoirs in Armour as much as Ways of Knowing or even From the Heart… & Gangway for Navy. In only the span of 27 minutes, he uses his abstract pengame to pick up fractured recollections in floral & imagistic poetry that leaves everyone sifting through the dense metaphors to find the trauma & catharsis at the center rendering, spirituality, love & family in a painterly mosaic of pain & healing.

Score: 4/5

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Navy Blue – “Ways of Knowing” review

Navy Blue is a 26 year old skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist & model from Brooklyn, New York who came up in 2015 off his debut EP According to the Waterbearer. He has since continued to turn heads in the underground scene by dropping 9 more EPs & 6 full-lengths before signing to Def Jam Recordings about a month ago. With that in mind, it was only a matter of time until he dropped his 7th album albeit major label debut fully produced by Budgie.

“The Medium” is a drumless opener with some pianos & choir vocals as Navy admitting that learning patience has made sense for him as of late whereas “Chosen” has a more abstract, jazzy approach to it talking about being a prodigy. “The One” seeks eternal love with a silky yet sensual beat until “To Fall in Love” takes a more tropical route instrumentally talking about fucking up a real blessing like his significant other.

Zeroh comes into the picture on “Life’s Terms” to let it be known that all it takes for them just to be in love & that simply being the way it goes just before “Phases” dives into more soulful turf talking about being unable to stay the same with gratitude & living day to day. “Kill Switch” has a more dejecting sound to it as Navy acknowledges that he ain’t self righteous leading into the Kelly Moonstone-assisted “Window to the Soul” declaring themselves as ballroom stars returning to the boom bap.

“Freehold” opens up about despising his opponents & being unable to do this shit by his lonely on top of a slow yet syrupy beat while “Embers” with Liv.e delivers some jazzy piano chords as they talk about where they wanna be in life. The song “Pillars” is wavy ode to his family while the groovy penultimate track “Look in My Eyes” talks about seeing the pain he’s lived through. “Shadow’s Shield” however comes through with a drumless closer being unable to complain & thinking that everything will be straight in the end.

Between this & Maxo’s latest Def Jam debut Even God Has a Sense of Humor that just came out last month, it seems as if one of the most iconic labels in the history of our culture is continuing to help bring the underground to the mainstream by giving these artists the push they deserve. The lyrics are more personal which is great for those who’re new to him with the batch of instrumentals that Budgie whips up being amongst his strongest to date pulling from jazz rap, drumless & chipmunk soul.

Score: 4/5

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Wiki – “Half God” review

Wiki is a 27 year old rapper, songwriter & producer from New York City who came up a decade ago as part of the trio Ratking. Following their disbandment in 2016, he’s made a pretty successful solo career of himself with his first 2 full-lengths No Mountains in Manhattan & OOFIE. He just dropped the NAH-produced Telephonebooth back in the spring & to kick off the fall, Wiki is bringing in Navy Blue to produce his 4th album from front to back.

“Not Today” starts off with a misty piano loop talking about how he “can’t let it end this way”, but then “Roof” works in a more calmer sample speaking on turned his roof into his private quarters. “Remarkably” takes a boom bap turn flexing his lyrical prowess leading into Navy Blue actually hopping onto the mic for the soulful “Can’t Do This Alone” to help say they gonna ride or die for the game.

Meanwhile for “Never Fall Off”, we have Wiki on top of a psychedelic guitar instrumental saying he’ll forever be on top just before “Drug Supplier” with Jesse James Solomon brings in an orchestral loop telling the story of a pusher. “Wik da God” gets back on the bravado tip over a more haunting instrumental whereas “Ego Death” brings in a hypnotic vocal sample encourage listeners to free themselves.

“The Business” charmingly follows it up by telling listeners to get with the program while “Home” starts off with the sounds of cars passing by, but transitions into something more lavish talking about being in his element. Earl Sweatshirt tags along for the harmonious “All I Need” talking about life & what comes with it, but then Remy Banks jumping on top of a slick guitar lead to talk about the world knowing them for “Gas Face”.

MIKE comes into the picture for the slick “Promised” cryptically providing introspection while the song “New Truths” is a boom bap heater talking about hip hop’s effect on him throughout his life. The penultimate track “Still Here” looks back on his youth over a dusty yet lush beat & finally, “Grape Soda” rounds it out with some vocal harmonies in the background talking about better days.

Coming from someone who’s been following Wiki for a few years at this point, he’s been one of those artists where he gets better with time & solidifies that on Half God. Outside of a couple lackluster features, I feel like it contains some of his best songwriting to date & Navy Blue’s production is incredibly detailed.

Score: 4/5