N’fa Jones has been a busy man of late, working with old friend Drapht, supporting De La Soul, performing with recent Triple J Unearthed winner Remi, and now releasing a full length album Black + White Noise.
While the collection is primarily a hip hop record, the 34 year old has not forgotten the roots of his musical journey; being the frontman of multi-genre group 1200 Techniques has had a noticeable influence on this album.
There is deep, profound soul to be found in ‘Monsters Ballad’, melodic pleasures to be exposed in the latest single ‘Money Better Come’, and old-school boom bap hip hop in songs such as ‘Confidence’ and ‘Live On’.
Sometimes too much diversity on a record can make it a disjointing and confusing listen, but this is definitely not the case here. The harmonic flow that N’fa demonstrates in both his rapping and singing from track to track is so mesmerising that it acts as a glue that holds it all together. Couple this with his ability to tell an introspective story and yet still leave it in a vulnerable enough state for the listener to be able to relate, and the album becomes pure brilliance.
It is a growing trend within the hip hop sphere to do something a little different. In saying that, it is also one of the bravest things to do – considering hip hop fans can be the most ruthless. Black + White Noise is a testament to N’fa, who has produced a forward thinking album based on his own style whilst also retaining the fundamentals of rap and hip hop. It is a record that not only hip hop purists, but music lovers far and wide will enjoy.
Listen to ‘Life’s A Game’ by N’fa Jones here:
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