NY-based R&B act Nathaniel The Great first caught our ears with the upbeat party jam "Tear It Up". His latest mixtape sees Nathaniel going back to his hip-hop roots by jumping on classic rap bangers from the 90s to the 00s. Inspired by greats such as Gang Starr, Biggie Smalls, Mobb Deep, and others, Nathaniel picks select instrumentals from their catalog and puts his own spin on them.
The project starts with the aforementioned single "Tear It Up" whose take on Gangstarr's "Mass Appeal"/Vic Juris's "Horizon Drive" piano riff opens the floor with its block party-laden feel. Tracks like "Whine On Me" which samples LL Cool J's "Doin It" and the Camp Lo inspired "This is It" keeps the energy flowing as Nathaniel stays in pocket with his melodic flow and smooth vocal tone.
Other choice tracks include "By Your Side" where Nathaniel The Great flows effortlessly with the vocal sample and "Star" where he dwells on the love of his life and his day to day struggles respectively. For a short mixtape, it sure flows cohesively and Nathaniel does come correct over the classic beats from Jadakiss, Mobb Deep and even one from 2pac ("I Get Around"). Hit the play button and enjoy the retro sounds of Nathaniel The Great.
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