Adub Nati encapsulates a bygone era of hip-hop. His songs have an essence of positivity, awareness and being a social tool for progress. This kind of art aims to help, inspire and preserve. Not just for posterity, so that all can rise together, as one. His latest album is called Emerging, and should be a lesson for society. 

Opening with Battling Time, he takes the reins of time in his own hands. You need to be plastered, warmed up and ready for action. The instrumentals are quintessentially Wu Tang or Madlib, preparing an arsenal for a bloodthirsty warrior. You hear the conviction in his lines as well, like Talib Kweli he aims to paint you an accurate portrayal of what its like. An explosive account for an opening track.

As we move on to Get Me, he brings a track to life. Similar to a lamp lighting up a dark room, the instrumental and his voice brings in the groove. You are reeled in for his sharp, creative wording, while the dreamy instrumental keeps you bobbing on this tide. Gotta Look Deeper has a jazz undertone like De La Soul would use. It is light, but in contrast the words are heavy. It is a refreshing way to move, away from a “trap wave” that seems to dominate many songs these days. Adub Nati ensures you’re hearing a story, like a movie with strong visuals. Scene by scene, his vendetta is to speak his truth, and you see a distilled, clear version of it from him.

With rhyme & reason

A 80s dominated synth sound creates the morning daze of Happenings Here. Ever faithful to the reality that surrounds him, he tells it as it is. The accounts are raw and real, they are windows into lives listeners might never know about. A brilliant writer and performer, Adub Nati has a sense of flow that is a natural gear. You could minus the instrumentals and the ballet of the wordings would have the same impact.

Waiting on a Word just shows the love for rhythm that Adub has. By choice, he could have gone with a similar sounding framework. However, he stretches his fabric, pushing it to edges and sounds that are pleasing to listen to, and thought-provoking. From his album C.N.N (Correction Needed Now), he takes a different theme and sound to the front, to work on and with. The result is an expansion sonically like none other. Black Flower Sun Star displays this very sentiment with the kind of style Adub will become famous for. An almost danceable beat changes his rhyme scheme and pattern to create what is an account of his past. It is superbly executed against this upbeat vibe, something that is another contrast owing to the reality that he’s experienced.

Victor of words

Adub Nati tries to leave us with some words of confidence and inspiration. Don’t Be Scared opens with a production artist’s dream palette, the piano and main hook creating something particular. It is a rousing track, like a Meek Mill song, it builds to make what could make any movies inspiring climax scene. So as you hear this, it is clear that the soundtrack would be a unique one.

Off the bat, some would perfectly fit the newest Creed film, though many could be featured in The Fighter as well. Some tracks are personally linked to Adub, yet the album is a gift from a prolific artist. Listen to his work and be sure to follow to listen to terrifically crafted music.