“…N***a I’m the King, they’re just toddlers in tiaras..”
He’s back, and from the jump, Nacho Picasso’s High & Mighty grabs you by the neck repeatedly. Starting with the very first joint Crime Waves, Nacho’s baritone voice spreads street gospel over solid drums and haunting melodies.
This album knows exactly what it’s about. Beats manufactured for the whip, [possible] drug references, some good ol’ fashioned NSFW lyrical content, with just a little bit of #TurnDownForWhat. I’ve got to say that whoever picked the beats for this album should consider a serious career in the A&R biz. Slapper. After. Slapper. Nacho’s voice seems tailor-made for every single song, his rhyme scheme is hypnotic, and the subject matter feels original.
It was very difficult to pick the stand-out tracks (since the project is something you can pretty much put on and let play while you…well), but I’d have to say that Alpha Jerk is a favorite due to its introspective nature (plus the hook is retarded), as well as Duck Tales, an ignorantly beautiful we-don’t-love-’em-though anthem, and Nacho The Ruler, where the Seattle rapper gives us his best Slick Rick impression over spacey electric piano chords.
The Jake One-produced Too Much kinda came out of left field, but eventually grew on me as the song progressed. It is still, however, the one spot in the album where Nacho’s flow lost me for juuuuust a second.
Overall, High & Mighty delivers. It’s laid-back, paints a vivid picture, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Looking forward to hearing a lot more from Mr. Picasso in the future.
Sidenote: if you stream the album and you like it, then do what this guy says.
High & Mighty (and the rest of Nacho’s catalog) is available for stream and download over at nachopicasso.bandcamp.com, and you can also check out his official website www.nachopicasso.com.