[Mixtape] Nomad - The Royal House of Thebes

Maryland wordsmith Nomad had been crafting The Royal House of Thebes for almost two years, dropping off the radar to begin work on it after releasing his Nocebo project in late 2012. Coming back to the scene this year with his Unsung Collectiv, what once was an idea now fully realized, the crew dropping its first official project Bucket Boys back in May. In the biggest example of irony The Nomadic One finally found a crew of similar minded individuals to run with and he has become all the better for it. The polish of taking his time with TRHoT is very apparent this is the best you'll hear from him lyrics, production, technical-wise as well the mixing/mastering is better then past projects.

No' has found a nice balance in duration TRHoT isn't too short (Think Again) and isn't overwhelmingly long (Nocebo) with 14 tracks and around 45 minutes in length. It seems as if he has tried to appeal to a wider audience with this project and that isn't to say he has "sold out" or changed his style he just has took past critiques from others into consideration and applied changes where they were needed. Even the production is more versatile then his past works, tracks such as "Theban Alphabet" featuring EZ Gustow and the Ciscero assisted "Royal House" (which is produced by Grammy Family's rMell) deviate from his traditional sound but don't come across as attempts to leave what has made him behind.

These small and simple tweaks give the project great replayability something that has been a weak point in the past. Even with the various styles in production that make up the project the cohesiveness is still there and the interludes (a Nomad signature). I could go on and on about how great this project is but I told myself I would no longer do reviews so before this turns into one (too late?) I'll just recommended you listen for yourself as this is definitely the strongest outing from a great and very under appreciated artist. I'd even go as far to say that it is his magnum opus. With that being said welcome to The Royal House of Thebes...

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Nomad - Passing Through

Nomad prepares for the July 7th release of his long awaited The Royal House of Thebes by dropping the first single "Passing Through" from the upcoming project. Lyrically the track is what we've come to expect from the Nomadic One but the flows are a bit different this time around more up tempo than usual, it's nice to see him switch it up. S/O to EZ Gustow who assists No' on the track's chorus. Be sure to mark July 7th on your calendars, as it will be almost a full year since he dropped the Mythos EP which served as a teaser for TRHoT, I'm excited to hear what the homie has come up with in almost a years time.

In the meantime, while you wait check out Nomad's latest project with his Unsung Collectiv Bucket Boys.

[Mixtape] Unsung Collectiv - Bucket Boys

Bucket Boys is the first project from the Unsung Colletctiv (and if you see the E, drop em') comprised of emcees Nomad and EZ Gustow, producers Eric Barry and DJ 69 among others such as T.Brown. Even with its short duration the tape serves its purpose as a nice introduction to the group and their particular sound. No' and EZ flow well together and have great track chemistry throughout the tape, both have similar rhyming styles but their distinctively different voices set them apart from each other, everyone else and draw you in as a listener. Hopefully a follow up tape is in the works I would love to hear more.  

[Review] Nomad - Nocebo

If you're a regular of D:D you should know how highly I view Nomad's skills as an emcee. Over the last few months Nomad has been steadily dropping music in preparation for Nocebo. First it was For.Not, a short two track EP that served to hold fans over and to show progression in Nomad's skills as an artist. After that every Thursday a new track from Nocebo was dropped and week after week the tracks got better.

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

Download and stream below.

Nomad - The Drive ft Ezel Skylark

Nomad and fellow Unsung member Ezel Skylark speak on how people can change all simply because you got a ride. True shit indeed. Nocebo drops September 20th. Check out the tracklist and cover here.