What happens when a young, up-and-coming, fire-spitting MC with unlimited potential teams up with one of the most respected artists in the underground hip-hop world? Well, you get NehruvianDOOM.
Bishop Nehru, an 18-year-old rapper from New York, is starting off his earnest music career the right way, by collaborating with his mentor, DOOM, a.k.a. MF DOOM, a.k.a. Viktor Vaughn, a.k.a. King Geedorah, a.k.a. The Supervillain.
He’s a man of many names, but if there’s one thing consistent about DOOM, it’s his knack of releasing quality music. From his 2004 album, “Mm.. Food,” to creating arguably one of the best hip-hop albums of the 2000’s,
“Madvillainy,” his partnership with renowned hip-hop producer, Madlib, DOOM has a heck of a track record. So, obviously, he’s someone a young kid like Nehru can be influenced by.
I was so excited about “NehruvianDOOM.” When I heard that this would actually be a thing, it made my mouth water. I couldn’t wait to hear what DOOM had in store with this blooming MC. It’s a good album and I’ll be listening to it many more times in the future, but it’s not something you can jump right into.
It’s a little weird, for lack of a better term. And it’s pretty evident that a lot of the lyrics are written by an 18-year-old. But, nonetheless, there are bright spots here that any hip-hop fan can enjoy. It just might take time to develop that appreciation.
“NehruvianDOOM” kicks in pretty quick with the opening instrumental. No lyrics here whatsoever, but the beat is sick. Right then and there, I knew that I’d be in for some awesome beats from DOOM. As it turns out, I was right. Following the instrumental is the album’s single, “OM.” This track is also a little interesting, to say the least. The beat is pretty generic with a very ominous, supervillain-esque sounding instrumental. But, make no mistake, this song’s pretty awesome. It’s an acquired taste for sure. But Bishop Nehru shows off his impressive rapping pretty well here, rhyming, “Am I being idolized? Or am I a pair of idle eyes?” A good question for any young artist to ask themselves while in the public eye.
After “OM,” there’s “Mean the Most,” a down-tempo groove with a nice head-bobbing beat that, even though the lyrics are a little suspect, it can get you moving. Then there’s “So Alone,” a song that sounds like something an over-emotional teenager would write a sad Tweet about while attaching a link to a sad Coldplay song. “So Alone” and “Great Things” were the only songs on this 9-track LP that I found skippable. But on such a short album, that’s a pretty big chunk of material.
After “So Alone,” there’s “Darkness (HBU).” This song is ridiculous. If you like good hip-hop with clever lyrics and awesome production, this is what you’re looking for. Every day I’ve gone to the gym over the last week, I’ve had this track on repeat non-stop. It’s one of the more impressive songs you’ll hear from a young up-and-comer like Nehru. It sounded so organic and routine. Nehru did not sound like an 18-year-old on this track, or its follower, “Coming for You.” “Coming for You” isn’t very long and has somewhat of a cheesy hook, but the beat is tight and it’s enough to make you want to come back to it.
Though it’s short and a little abstract, there’s a lot to like about this album from the beats produced by DOOM to the rhymes created by Nehru. Bishop Nehru has a lot of potential and he showed it here. Once he polishes himself up and starts rapping about topics other than typical teenage ordeals, he could be a force to be reckoned with.
My rating: 7/10
