My First official Review of NEZBEAT

By Jason Barr

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Even the most experienced musicians grapple with an album’s content and the struggle to separate the wheat from the chaff. An artist’s integrity motivates a musician to offer the best they have, but human nature contends that getting by is good enough. These internal conflicts can create extremes on both ends of the spectrum. I bring you the latest offering from the Lawrence, Kansas hip-hop scene: Jeremy Nesbitt, A.K.A NEZBEAT. His seamless samples lend an air of confidence and competence to his first official release, "From The Huge Silence," but the album is a prime example of the production struggle. NEZ brings a vast collection of beats to the table. His instrumentals lay somewhere in DJ land, between Madlib and Express Rising. He is the premiere producer and beat-maker for local emcees, Archetype, and while I frequently find myself annoyed by stupid filler and skits a lá Prince Paul, I am glad to announce that you won’t find any of that here.

Clocking in at over an hour, From The Huge Silence, has its work cut out for it. Early in the line up the soft snares and warm synths tease with their promise of excellence. An extensive list of emcees spans the album’s 16 tracks, giving it the feel of a mix tape instead of a focused, cohesive production. NEZ’s indulgence in emcee overkill is reminiscent of an out-of-hand party with an over-stuffed guest list.

NEZBEAT has the knack for aptly pairing his emcees and beats with the entire production in mind. This is evident even in the weakest moments of “FTHS,” as Nez brings his production skills to bear. NEZ's production is impeccable In fact, I wish there were more instrumentals on this disc. NEZ could really shine if he would let his music do the talking. I can't stress enough how much I enjoy the grimy home-recorded feel of "FTHS." I want to feel that what I'm listening to is more than a resume. I want intimacy between my headphones. The intimate moments lie within the samples and the quite moments on "FTHS." Those moments are where the gold lies within this record.

NEZ does the local rap talent a favor by padding the production with a noteworthy appearance by Mac Lethal and Murs. The often-obnoxious Mac Lethal comes off as likable on the misogynistic anthem, "The Women of Scribble Jam, with his clever responses to Murs' frat boy observations of the women around them. It is the top billed local talent that was the hardest to swallow. Hype alone may have soured my view of emcees Joe Good and Approach (who, up to date, has shown the most promise of making it out of the Bible Belt.) Lyrically, Approach offers up pure nonsense on "Clear Water Revival." Approach claiming to be the "Lizard King," led me to reminisce about the time I told a confirmation teacher that I had kidnapped a child, drove him around in my van, and had two of my friends poke him with sticks because he had flipped me off. Both of those statements are not only false, they are preposterous. Believe me when I tell you I've listened to this track 15 times and, with repetition, it sounds like a top contender as a track on Jock Jams 2004.

With A-Side honors, Joe Good of SoundsGood attempts to offer up the “Diss Jam.” The beat is a drastic improvement in direction as Nez returns to the grimy, fuzzed out snares and lo-fi horns that make “Friends or No Friends” accessible. Unfortunately, Joe saddles himself with the worst chorus on the entire record as he fronts, “Here it is, fuck it. Friends or no friends, I’ve had enough bullshit to last me clear to the end.” It's not even be the chorus, rather the chatter at the end of the track that doesn't weigh in as hard as he fronts.

In a time when scratching is becoming the new “15 minute guitar solo.” DJ Sku’s scratching is very tasteful. It’s also the little details like track placement that really serve NEZ well. NEZ loosens up as the B-Side begins to spin. He even manages to turn the incredibly boring indie-pop band The Capsules into a toe tapper on “Fade to Silence.” He debuts as an incredibly captivating emcee on “Brown Eyes” & “Live It Up.” This is a sure sign that NEZBEAT is capable of taking on this entire record himself. The team effort of “FTHS,” is evident and cemented with tracks like “Our Scene.” Emcee Brother of Moses conveys the mission statement that Lawrence and Kansas City will be coming to your town soon and they WILL “make a break thru!” I can say that with material this hot, I believe him.

NEZBEAT admirably offers Midwest-West hip-hop in an incredibly raw, vulnerable state. I tell you that although this record is fun, NEZ's inclusion of some sub-par emcee's adds a level of impotency to this virile young crew. NEZ takes every aspect of Lawrence and Kansas City, producing a flawed but superb taste of the blossoming Mid-West hip hop scene. NEZBEAT's “From The Huge Silence” with all of its flaws is still an essential piece of local music.

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Posted by 1981 (Jason Barr) on September 16, 2004 at 3:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So...does anyone disagree or is this record not a hot one for the farmhouse crowd?
I was told today that "there really isn't anything here to comment on." Has anyone listened to this record with a different opinion or observation?
-Jbarr

Posted by bangaranggerg (anonymous) on September 16, 2004 at 4:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

50 Cent got shot thirty seven times or something like that... but does Nezbeat have street cred like that?... I think it's a question best left to Randy Lee. peace.

Posted by 2ndoffour (anonymous) on September 17, 2004 at 9:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I have not listened to this album, but I will go to the links and let you know what I think. This is Coyote - over and out.

Posted by barr (Jason Barr) on September 17, 2004 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I posted a link to this blog on lawrencehiphop.com and so far the verdict is that I'm clueless. There hasn't been any real criticism, just name calling. We'll see if any real discourse will come out of this blog. I just want people who are involved with the scene here to really talk about what they think of the record coming out of lawrence. I really only hear people talkin sh*t or they just love the band. I want real criticism from the people who support it or have to suffer thru bad opening acts.

Posted by Barkstone (Laura Barker) on September 17, 2004 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Jason, I think you wrote a fine article. Having said that, I am a 28-year-old mother of 5, and my tastes don't generally run towards hip-hop. In fact, to be honest, putting "Kansas" and "hip-hop" together in the same sentence makes me giggle. But that is no fault of yours.

Posted by Barkstone (Laura Barker) on September 17, 2004 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I went to lawrencehiphop.com, and I couldn't find the name calling! I want to see the name calling. Is it salty? I hope it's salty!

When will you do a review on Point of Grace?

Posted by barr (Jason Barr) on September 17, 2004 at 11:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There is literally 1 response there. It's nothing more than what I stated above. Sorry for the disapointing unsaltiness.

Posted by mattx (anonymous) on September 17, 2004 at 1:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

While your review does show some insight, and your positive reviews of Nez and Sku are correct, i think your analysis of the emcees and their words is a little weak.

When approach said the lizard king thing, i dont think he was calling him self jim...he was stating that after all the crap of being pigeon holed into a certain corner of hip-hop, he would still (and does) prevail against odds that are actually presented to him...

And Joe Good did not do a 'diss track'...i would be very let down if someone of Nez's talent and mindset allowed simpleton diss tracks on his album...i think Joe was pretty much saying that politics regardless, he was going to do what he had too...and by saying 'i take it all back' at the end of the track he was pointing out how petty scenester arguments are...

I really wish that in your review you could have mentioned some of the best stuff on the album...Ubiq. and Godemis of Ces Cru offered pure gems on this album...people should listen to those as well...

now i would like to review your antics...posting on LHH that you have a review to kick up dust and antogonize name calling is childish...if your reviews were so incredible, a buzz would have been started by your 'readers', i then would have a little more faith in your talent...

however, YOU posted something, and then bragged about posting something on your own site...why dont you email Miles and see if you can buy an ad?

i dont find a writer that practices self promotion very journalistic...i call it showboating...

i look forward to hearing your album...maybe you can do Mac Lethal another 'favor' by letting him rap on it...

Posted by 1981 (Jason Barr) on September 17, 2004 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

First off I'd like to say thank you for registering and commenting.

Second, I don't get paid to write these blogs. AND this is an advertisement in and of itself. Therefore I'm not going to call and advertise any of them. EVER! If you knew what a blog was you would understand the reason for self promotion. I'm not a paid journalist and no one is going to advertise this blog other than me, myself and I. I understand your point about letting my readers spread the word...but blogs don't sit around like other news media. AND most of my readers as far as I know do not frequent lawrencehiphop.com. This is just free publicity for NEZ.

So... I whole heartedly disagree with you that I'm showboating, and bragging. In actuality, I'm just trying to get other people like yourself in another forum to talk about a record I thought deserved some attention.

I'm trying to invoke a response to a record that Jeremy went out of his way to send to me. I didn't want this review to just sit here while none of the usual Farmhouse Blues people cared to comment on it. Does that make sense? This means that I took my time to promote this record.

And when was the last time you read a review that was so incredible that there was some huge buzz? That's rediculous. People will judge this record by what they hear and I'm just trying to get them to put it on their head phones. They can make their own judgements once they hear it.

(Continued on next comment)

Posted by 1981 (Jason Barr) on September 17, 2004 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I also appreciate your input on what you thought was great on the record. That's what I want people to do here. I'm not going to do a track by track review because It would be way too long. I highlighted the tracks I enjoyed. That's it. I'm not going to apologize for not highlighting something that didn't strike me at the moment. I don't know if you've ever tried to review an album seriously but this record was more than a handfull. I gave you my observations of what came across to me, when I listened to the record.

I had no clue what the heck Approach was talking about when the "Lizard King" comment was made. I reviewed everything on this record from an outsiders perspective. That's something that you have to be aware of. If your trying to degrade my view because I wasn't aware of some scene knowledge, then we don't even need to be communicating. It's like throwing an inside joke on an album. It makes no sense to anyone else, and in the end is really distracting.

I think it needs to be understood that even though I lived in Lawrence for 3 years, I didn't know who half of the emcees were. That is something to keep in mind when creating a product, showcasing fresh talent.

I made the Mac Lethal coment because I knew that he and Murs would be the most recognizable in any review. That's just how it works. Wayne Coyne is going to be mentioned in every Ghosty review when their record get's released, though he is only a guest. That's because he's in the freakin Flaming Lips. Is this clicking?

Hip Hop does not dominate my music collection. This is why I chose to review this record. I wanted to offer a completely different perspective on local Hip Hop. I think I did that. If you disagree with me then so be it, but I appreciate you taking your time.

Posted by RickSutclif2001 (anonymous) on September 17, 2004 at 3:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I agree with everything written that was positive, but anything critical is garbage. This record was made by God himself.

Posted by Barkstone (Laura Barker) on September 17, 2004 at 4:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Handled well, Jason.

Posted by mattx (anonymous) on September 17, 2004 at 6:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)

by pointing out what i thought the lyrics meant, i was only trying to convey there were more ways to define the words than the literal sense...

you wrote:
"So... I whole heartedly disagree with you that I'm showboating, and bragging. In actuality, I'm just trying to get other people like yourself in another forum to talk about a record I thought deserved some attention."

to that i must say i can see your point...i live in phoenix, never lived in lawrence...so i do not know the standards of the blogs at this lawrence.com...

i just personally dont like when people stand behind numbers...i tend to let the work speak for itself...in using your stats i was let down...i can see why you want to promote yourself like that...its just a pet peeve of mine, and other people i know...

truth be told, i was not pissed, just offering opinion (and you probably have a new reader in me since i have excerted this much energy)...

FTHS is a fantastic album...and it does deserve the promotion, so thanks for that...

Posted by joeynotjoe (Joseph Murphy) on September 17, 2004 at 9:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Hey Jason, I like this album a lot. Maybe I'll pay you to do a blog on Fromage and Paul Protocol. Unless it turns into that Ballz Deep-esque discussion. And yeah, the scribble jam song is hot, but, Nez has better beats on the album. I'm glad you put up this blog.

Posted by spym00se (anonymous) on September 18, 2004 at 4:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'd rather be in an incredibly boring indie rock band than be an incredibly boring writer.

Posted by 1981 (Jason Barr) on September 18, 2004 at 6:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well, we can all be friends and hold hands now. C'mon Spymoose, you really hurt my feelings. Reviewing this cd was a lot harder than anything I've done to date. I can't really explain why, but I was attempting to be a little more serious. Thanks for all the responses so far.

Posted by nezly_crunc (anonymous) on September 21, 2004 at 2:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

hip hop exists everywhere these days Barkstone, its 2004, we have tvs, radios, and internet now, crazy stuff! Look into it, there is a whole wide world of people just like you and people nothing like you that make rap music (hip hop music). 85% of the people that buy Rap music look like most Kansans do, white! I wouldn't be suprised if one of your kids is in his/her room right now reciting 50 cent lines (he's a really rich rapper guy from New York with more street cred than me), he makes some good stuff for comercial rap music. Anyway, thanks for the responses everyone, and Jason, I produce for Archetype, and Ethereal, Approach makes his own music. peace
-Nez

Posted by nezly_crunc (anonymous) on September 21, 2004 at 2:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)

oh yeah, and The Capsules aren't boring, everyone should ignore that part of the review, that was the funnest easiest most natural song on the whole album. It didn't take much from my end to make those guys sound great, they already are.

Posted by nezly_crunc (anonymous) on September 21, 2004 at 2:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Posted by 1981 (Jason Barr) on September 21, 2004 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I gotcha, sorry for the mix up. I thought you produced for Approach as well as Archetype. But c'mon Nez....it's only my opinion that The Capsules are boring. They're just not my cup of tea. Thanks again. -jbarr

Posted by nezly_crunc (anonymous) on September 21, 2004 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

no, thank you. and thanks to everyone who took time to post about it. peace

Posted by Barkstone (Laura Barker) on September 22, 2004 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

OK, Nez. Confession time. Hip-Hop does occassionally catch my ear...

... but once I start listening to the lyrics: instant turn-off. Gratuitious obscenities, misogyny, and the other hallmarks that characterize the genre mar the talent that I would otherwise enjoy and dampen my admiration of the artist. My experience with hip-hop could be comapared to fishing a quarter out of a public toilet. The small reward of the artistry isn't worth getting past the elements I find distasteful.

Speaking to the Kansas/hip hop connection: I realize that we are rapidly becoming a global culture. However, the States still have individual reputations amongst themselves and anyone who isn't from Kansas will find the combination of the state and the style an odd dichotomy. The pic of you on Lawrence.com carrying a giant synth on your shoulder past a cornfield seems intentionally calculated to play up that incongruity.

Thanks for your comment

Posted by Shelby (anonymous) on September 22, 2004 at 8:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The Capsules ARE boring.

Anybody who was at the Farmers Ball last year knows that A. Graham and the Moment Band deserved to win, HANDS DOWN. The Capsules are just The Cranes, but more boring. Nice people though, incidentally.

Posted by joeynotjoe (Joseph Murphy) on September 23, 2004 at 6:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

A. Graham and the Moment Band were absolutely the most hideous shit I have ever had to withstand in my 20 years of life. Jesus Christ. And I'm not even just talking about their pathetic, terrible sound...the guys in the band were completely ridiculous, and I don't mean Les Savy Fav ridiculous, I mean Barney the purple bear singing showtunes ridiculous. That Farmer's Ball was a mess, but I would never have chosen those guys. The Capsules only shouldn't have won because they aren't quite up and coming, and had releases put out already. That was my only complaint about them winning...talent wise, yeah, they are not my cup of tea either, but they probably should've won last year's farmer's ball. Gosh, you got me all worked up thinking about that shitty band.

Posted by 1981 (Jason Barr) on September 24, 2004 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I missed that FB, but I think that was the over all tone that people take when looking at the Capsules as a local band. I know it's a new band, but they've had success before so I think that a lot of the smaller bands just feel a little shafted out. BUT didn't Vibralux win Farmer's Ball once? Maybe it was just one night. That pissed me off.

Posted by barr (Jason Barr) on October 5, 2004 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have a blog being edited at the moment, and I have had a new ? Time With Randy done for over a week now. It will be delivered to lawrence.com on thursday or possibly wednesday night. If your interested you can just check out my informal blog on xanga...yeah I know xanga's gay, but what do you care anyway.

http://www.xanga.com/private/home.aspx?u...

My First official Review of NEZBEAT

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