In a hip-hop landscape that is being pushed in so many different ways, both for better and for worse, Niko X is a rapper who is directing the genre in a direction for its betterment. With this upcoming rapper’s debut album, “I’M Buggin,” he curates a beautiful effort that embodies the most compelling aspects of this 50-year-old genre.
From self-reflection to soulful soundscapes, “I’M Buggin” is a record that embodies many of the qualities that hip-hop fans have come to love yet stands on its own two feet. Niko X immediately stands out from other rappers simply because of the way he presents his artistry. At the end of the intro track, we hear a friend compare his talent to Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, and while this is a bold claim that may upset some people unfamiliar with him, after listening to this body of work, while I am not saying he is anywhere near the greatness of K. Dot or Cole, I can understand why somebody who has witnessed his journey can say so. Niko X has so much to offer from a storytelling perspective on this album and hearing him come into his own is one of the most captivating things I have seen in quite some time.
Niko’s gritty vocals marinate with his immaculate production choices to make for one of the best listening experiences of any new artist I have heard this year. The way Niko is able to scale songs vocally and progress the tenacity of the stories with the tempo of the instrumentals is great. This can especially be seen on a track like “Slow,” which features Niko rapping with multiple other MCs who give him some pretty solid assists. In a hip hop world that appreciates the abstract soul loops from the likes of The Alchemist and Madlib, Niko X picked the perfect time to release this project as the sonic language of this record falls right in line with this growing market. Tracks like “Runnin Away” and “Breakin It Off” feel like something Freddie Gibbs, Earl Sweatshirt, or MIKE would rap over. While it would be amazing to hear those big name MCs on production this sweet, Niko X makes these beats his own simply from the way he pens his soul into them. The way Niko marries his lyrics with the production really ties this project together in such a compelling manner for people to enjoy.
All in all, if you like lyrical rappers like Saba or Isaiah Rashad or your craving production that’s akin to the likes of The Alchemist or Nicholas Craven’s, Niko X and his album “I’M Buggin” is something you need to hear. This rapper showcases that he can have such a prominent future in the genre due to how skilled of an artist he already is. From rapping ability to the curation, Niko X is not just a talented MC but he is a true visionary with the skillset to make a project just as great as his vision steers him.
Album Verdict: Must Listen