NOTE: PATREON SUPPORTERS RECEIVED ACCESS TO THIS REVIEW ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2024.

Don’t sleep on this latest album from nofacerapper. It was released on September 5th this year, and is fully produced by PHNTMSLM666 of Deadbent Inc. I recently tweeted about how I kinda fell short of my own expectations in terms of my output this year. I’ve been so busy, and so much has been going on that I haven’t had time to write full reviews. One attempt at solving this issue was the creation of my Patreon-exclusive video series, “Listening Log,” in which I talk about all the stuff that I’ve been hearing. The only downside to that approach is that only my Patreon supporters see it, so while I am technically still giving the recommendations, they aren’t reaching as many people as they could. I’m fine with a limited amount of people hearing exactly what I think, but I don’t want to do a disservice to the artists that deserve as much exposure as possible. I was really struggling with this dilemma, especially in regards to this album in particular. Then I remembered that I have these “Don’t Sleep” reviews I do, where I just give a brief explanation of why I think it’s worth your time with discussion of what I consider to be the highlights. You’ll likely be getting a lot more of these types of reviews over the next few months. Anyway, I first wrote about nofacerapper several years ago when he released his Black Gold EP. It was clear right from then that the dude was a very talented MC, but there were some critiques I had. Earlier this year he put out an album called And It Was Beautiful, which was fully produced by Foule Monk. I thought it was really good when I heard it, and I like the album even more now than I initially did. This latest record, which is fully produced by PHNTMSLM666, and mixed and mastered by LUNAR, might be even better. I haven’t decided yet. I think they’re pretty much neck and neck, but I may convince myself otherwise by the time I’m done writing this. Anyway, the album’s not available on streaming platforms, so I suggest copping a CD from DITCD if you don’t wanna pay for a digital version.

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nofacerapper’s flow really stands out to me. It really grew on me after multiple listens once I digested and understood the intricacies of what he’s doing here. I mean, I liked it on first listen, but I appreciated it even more once I spent more time with it. Just pay attention to the way his flow evolves on track 2, particularly during the second verse, and you’ll see what I mean. Anyway, the first highlight I wanna talk about is called MOMMA’S KARMA. It’s an incredibly personal track, as you probably gathered from the title. NFR goes really in depth about the history of his immediate family, and it’s pretty heavy. Stuff like this makes me wonder how artists feel when they put something so personal out there for everyone to hear. I mean, I’ve done my fair share of revealing too much online, but I don’t know… It just feels different. A song feels more official than a tweet, ya know? I wonder if these artists ever run into issues in their personal lives because of something they said in a song. Actually, I guess it should be common sense that that shit definitely happens. Anyway, I’m yappin’ right now, so let me get back to the point. PHNTMSLM666’s production is pretty good here, and NFR’s flow and delivery sound nice. It’s a cool track sonically. The lyricism, on the verses and the hook, is what elevates it to a special level for me though.

We all get a deck of cards dealt out from the God of all
My father sold that powder raw, got shot then we saw the fall
Moms never recovered from it, sent me to my grandfather
What happens when wife becomes a widow in a couple hours
Doesn't get no mental help, nobody knows when to help
This was in the mid-90's, you gon' have to win yourself
When she lost her life, we lost our mom, and that's the truth
Life abused her, my sis, and I caught it too

This is the type of shit that’ll have you pondering the realities of generational trauma. Well, that’s the effect it had on me at least. It’s like a zoomed out, bigger picture type of view of nofacerapper himself. I’ve been going through some family drama this year, so I guess this song kinda contributed to my current train of thought. I’ve been thinking not only about my present life, but the context of my entire family’s history. Perhaps that’s why this track resonated with me so deeply. I think it’s dope as hell. The other song I wanna make sure I mention is called ESCAPISM. This is my favorite song on the album. The production here is beautiful. This is definitely my favorite beat I’ve ever heard from PHNTMSLM666. It’s very serene and pretty sounding. Going from the preceding track’s dark atmosphere and lyrical content to this extremely pleasant and affable song was like Hollow Bastion transforming into the Radiant Garden—if you understand that reference, you’re goated. I guess the title is very fitting in the context of the album. Anyway, I really appreciate how NFR kinda toned down the aggression in his delivery for this song. He matches the tone of the production really well. His usual aggression level may have sounded awkward over this beat. The verse here is really dope.

A commitment between God and her
Our bond is like a pile of myrrh
She heard my wedding vows, she said I sound like a philosopher
Phenomenal, this seven years, we shedded tears
No room to be selfish here, no one to interfere
How did we end up here?

I also really like the hook on this track. That’s another thing I noticed about this project; NFR’s hooks are all at least pretty solid. There weren’t any hooks that felt like they were shoehorned in or like they were a waste of time. Anyway, the song’s fire, and it’s my favorite track I’ve heard from him.

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^{This album is great. nofacerapper’s immense growth in the three years I’ve been listening to him has been really cool to witness. Like I said, this album is just as great to me as the first one he put out this year. While I generally prefer Foule Monk’s production style, I think the lyrical content of this album in particular is what may make it more impactful. This isn’t a full review, so I only wrote about some of the highlights, but it should be noted that there’s not a single track I don’t like on this album, and it actually took a lot of listening and consideration to decide what my least favorite track is. I wouldn’t consider anything on here to be a misstep. They did what they were supposed to here. This is a job well done. Check it out, and cop a CD if you dig it.}

Favorite SOng: Escapism
Least Favorite Song: JUDGE MO DOLLA$

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