LOS ANGELES (Moist Music) - What would happen if a lyrical genius disguised himself as a musical madman? He'd be an acid-rapper, of course. Esham, widely considered the granddaddy of the Rock-Rap genre, and his group Natas release their highly anticipated original album, N Of Tha World (Moist Music) on January 24, 2006, four years after their last recording together. Often thought of as a sage Rap prodigy by Hip Hop's cognoscenti, Esham's fork-tongued lyrics and acerbic wit form the basis of his rhymes, many of which are critical of the country's current political and social climate. For a rap artist frequently credited for influencing death-metal acts like
Slipknot and Marilyn Manson, as well as Rap-Rockers like
Kid Rock and Eminem, the most unexpected aspect of Esham may be his love for classic Philadelphia Soul and contemporary Blues. Esham's sound has been borrowed and appropriated by many of today's bigger Rap stars, though they may not always pay him homage. Nevertheless, Esham is ecstatic about the new album. He says, "N Of Tha World is different from previous Natas albums "cause it talks about all the sh*t that's going on in the world today, all the social and political issues. We are the voice for the voiceless. This album, it's the wicket shit. It's modern-day Blues. We don"t call it "heavy metal," we call it "Heavy Mental"." Natas - an acronym for "Nation Ahead of Time And Space" - consists of Esham, TNT (Tony Montana) and Mastamind (Gary Reed), a fiery and eclectic trio of creative minds with Esham as the producer and MC. He says of the team, "TNT really stepped-up on this album, as a lyricist. You know, I like to take it back to the old
Metallica style." Natas is part Hip Hop, part death-metal, part social commentary. When on "Why You Gotta Lie" he rails, "You lyin"-ass politicians! / You lyin", b*tch-ass President / All you mothaf*ckas lyin"!", we must admit: we feel the same way. N Of Tha World is extremely catchy. Like some hard dope, listeners will be hooked. The album is awash in contrasts: heavy rock guitars and acidic rhymes dominate the blistering "Natas," the enraged "Worlds Apart" and the commercially viable "Ni**az Alwayz Talking Alotta Shit," while soulful instrumentals and pensive reflection characterize the sentimental "
Long As I Live" and "Pancakes And Syrup," and the funk-a-delic "?." The music rumbles your gut, the beats rattle your teeth, and the rhymes blow your mind. The verses on N Of Tha World are as cutting as they are poignant. The beats are as irresistible as they are thrilling. On "Long As I Live," Esham raps gently, "I"m not talking "gansta" / I"m talking "God"." (A sampling of verses from N Of Tha World, below.) Born in Copaige, New York, in 1977 and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Esham (born: Rashaam Smith) spent his youth living amongst the Motor City's urban decay and street-violence, searching for an outlet for his burning desire to express himself. Esham would spend his summers living with relatives in Amityville, Long Island, the town made infamous by Jay Anson's best-seller, "The Amityville Horror." It was perhaps during the long, listless summer afternoons loitering on the street corner near this haunted house that the young Esham developed an early idea for what would later blossom into a genre of music known as "Horrorcore". At the tender age of 11, Esham launched his own record label - Reel Life Productions - a label that still exists today. Esham released his first album, the seminal Boomin" Words From Hell, a self-produced album he released when he was just 13-years-old. Every year since 1990, Esham has released a new album either solo or with Natas. To call this prolific artist an over-achiever is no exaggeration, but Esham would rather be known simply for speaking the truth. Esham has continued to expose the hypocrisy in society and has not backed-down. In his early-twenties, Esham attended the respected Specs
Howard School of Broadcast Arts in Michigan and continued honing his production skills. As for musical instruments, Esham has for years played a variety of drums, bass, wind instruments, guitar and keyboards, and he continues to do so to this day. To record N Of Tha World, Esham used Pro Tools, a Roland sampler, an Akai MPC-4000 drum machine, a Yamaha Motif 8 synthesizer, a Moog analog synth, a Rhodes guitar, BBE Sound signal processors, plus real drums and real bass. Watch for Esham and Natas as they come to a city near you in early 2006.
