With that being said my excitement for Nocebo grew with each released track. I felt like For.Not was a true example of what Nocebo would be but I was mistaken. It's definitely not and just as Nomad told me himself " For.Not. can't touch Nocebo in any way shape or form...these are throw aways" I thought he was hyping it up at the time but the man didn't lie.
From the very moment I began to listen to Nocebo I could already tell I was going to go on a musical journey. Beginning with "NoPreFace" as the beat builds Nomad calmly spits "Relax ya self. Let yo conscious free. You're now rocking to the sounds of the N.O.M.A.D." and what follows is a short verse featuring Nomad's sharp flow and clever wordplay. Two things that make up the rest of the tracks featured on the tape.
Besides from Nocebo showcasing Nomad's skills as an emcee it also shows off his skills as a producer. As with all Nomad releases, the production is on point. With Nomad producing much of Nocebo himself aside from three tracks. This however has never been a weak point in Nomad's repertoire with the production featured on Think Again and For.Not, being the highlight more so the former than the latter. Nocebo is a very cohesive listen and for the most part each beat compliments each other rather than out shine.
Another major improvement from Nomad's previous effort Think Again is the subject matter. Think Again was filled with aspiration rap and while Nocebo does feature some aspiration raps here and there, it's very minimum compared to its predecessor. Also, the project being 20 tracks deep helps disperse this problem. Over the course of Nocebo we learn of Nomad not only as an artist but as a person too. Personal stories and verses shared over the project helps you connect to Nomad on a deeper level and even interludes such as "The Invention of Lying" help to expose Nomad's more personal and wittier side.
I want to touch on the features briefly, as with Nomad's other projects features are more of an added bonus than a main commodity. Features include Grammy Family's cool guy rMell who not only spits a guest verse but handles the production on "Try-Angles" and fellow Unsung member Ezel Skylark who appears on standout track "The Drive". If I had to compare the chemistry of Nomad and Ezel it would be that of Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul, who more so are equals in terms of rap skills and tend to compliment each others skill set. Lastly "Won-Up" featuring The Rezon and 431, with each emcee absolutely killing it. The only thing I can say disappointed me was the fact that there was no track featuring Unsung as an whole, the team appears on the interlude "Vignette" but other than that no bars from Eskay, whose featured track "Run-On Thoughts [of Sex]" was an highlight on Think Again.
To wrap this up I want to state that, I already knew Nomad was a mad talented artist. From the very moment I heard his previous project Think Again, he became one of my favorite emcees and I even created a 'Feature of the Month' section on D:D to spread his project. However, as I read reviews from fellow bloggers it seemed as if they could see the potential in Nomad but weren't ready to proclaim him one of the best just yet. With Nocebo I think Nomad proves himself as an artist and whether or not he intended it, I have no idea but he accomplishes just that. So as I stated in the beginning it gives me great pleasure in hosting and presenting Nocebo, a project which I truly believe is one of the best this year but more importantly a example of Nomad's true artistry and dedication to his craft. Enjoy.
Standout Tracks: Try-Angles, Get Familiar, Devil's Pie, The Drive, NoJar, Liquid Lover Lova', Shinola!, Won-Up & Blue Like Jazz.
Overall: 9.5/10
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