M Huncho and Nafe Smallz : DNA review - an effortless combination of culture and controlled lyricism.
Author: Stephen Jones | Saturday 31st October 2020
The beauty of this subjective universe is that people either get the message or they don’t. If you find yourself reading Dean Van Nguyen’s Guardian review of ‘DNA’, you’ll find that he doesn’t get the message one bit.
And that’s completely fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion and viewpoint. But this review does not do this project justice. Nguyen says, “The UK rappers’ voices fit together as satisfyingly as puzzle pieces, but their dynamic is wasted on generic material.”
Now the first half of this sentence is perfect, but the second half is an opinion that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The lyrical content of ‘DNA’ mostly consists of staple rap topics like sex, drugs, and money.
Three staple food groups that rappers need in order to survive - M Huncho and Nafe Smallz successfully deliver fresh angles on these saturated topics, and they do it with flair, style, and bundles of charisma.
Nguyen goes on to say, “But the subject matter rarely expands beyond the familiar topics of sex, drugs and making money, and the duo mostly fail to locate fresh angles on these themes. It makes the writing flavourless for long spells, and puts Huncho and Smallz in the shade of similarly tuneful artists such as Young Thug.”
It's the voice of someone who just doesn’t get the message behind ‘DNA.’
'DNA’ merges culture and lyricism to the highest standard and sprinkles it with flavours of a new age lifestyle to create one of the most genuine releases of the year.
The lyrics of ‘DNA’ are defined and perfected to a style that can only be showcased by this duo. They are the perfect accompaniment and hit different levels with this project.
‘DNA’ is well polished and is a representation of just how well-fermented M Huncho and Nafe Smallz’s sound has become since 'Broken Homes' back in 2018.
This is showcased on the song ‘Party’ where Nafe Smallz drops a luxurious vocal ripple that gives M Huncho the signal to come forth with his vintage melodic ‘trapwave’ style. The song is a celebration for road rap with its pristine champagne-assonance that cannot be ignored.
‘DNA’ is bigger than an album; it's a cultural movement that can’t be defined by a 500-word article.
DNA is made by the new age for the new age - it’s a sound that defines the youth of London and beyond,
M Huncho and Nafe Smallz have intertwined their musical molecules to bring us one of the most meaningful releases of the year.
Anyone who thinks differently quite simply needs a little bit more PMW.