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| Natas Releases new album 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 (Warlock Records) 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 shit 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 sh*t. 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. 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 he 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. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |