Milwaukee MC Lorde Fredd33's
debut rap album,
NORF: The Legend of HBR,
is the most intriguing
and satisfying hip-hop album
of 2018 (so far).
I've been familiar
with Lorde Fredd33's work
through the MKE collective
New Age Narcissism,
as well as being one
of the few guest features
on Milo's LP,
who told you to thin??!!?!?!?!,
but this 15 song project
is my first time
diving headfirst into
a body of his work.
Fully produced
by Q the Sun
(who helped
with one of my
Sleep compilations
and whose music video
was recently covered)
the backdrops here are outstanding.
Nearly every track
smacks with dense
layers and hypnotic bass.
From boom bap
to trap to ambient
harmonies and plenty
in between (including
an organic and chanting
outro), it's all
made for Lorde Fredd33
to spit his truths.
Tracks like "Sanctified"
and "Possum Play" show
the eclectic landscapes
where Fredd33 truly blossoms.
And back-to-back
"True Indeed" (with Zed Kenzo)
into "NBN" (WebsterX)
might be the best seven minutes
of rap this year. Absurdly
hot. This is a dark
and grim project, yet
one still full of enthusiasm
and charisma and playfulness.
It's packed with autobiographical
narratives and
introspective philosophies.
The artwork really
hits the nail on the head.
Fredd33 can go in on
any instrumental and Q
seems to be able to create
any kind of beat.
I'd love to know how many
tracks the two made
together that didn't make
the final cut. This is an album
where you'll pick up
new lines and breakdowns
on the fifth, sixth, seventh
listen. It's dense, it's lyrical,
and it's bubbling with life.
The final song, the five minute
"Reflections", deserves its
own write-up.
This is a Midwestern house fire,
an armed robbery at lunch time,
a house party with a gun
on the dinner table,
a clean punch through
a Wisconsin brick wall,
