Nelson – Liverpool beat maker
Liverpool jazz-hop prodigy Nelson emerges from the Rabbit Hole with latest cut, Getintothis’ Shaun Ponsonby feeds his head.
There seems to be a re-birth of mature and socially conscious hip-hop coming through right now, which acts as something of a relief to this writer. Here in Liverpool we have a 20-year-old called Nelson.
So far, Nelson has released two tracks this year, and each twisted and turned from previous efforts in themselves. Indeed, it looks as if he is gearing up to be a genuine force to be reckoned with, and we here at Getintothis are following his every move with sheer delight.
Like much of his work, there is something grey, brutal and industrial, but also sexy and stylish about Rabbit Hole. Hooking up with producer L’Orange, the duo have crafted a piece that musically feels like some sort of fancy performance venue that remains standing as the rest of the town crumbles, or a tuxedo that has been dragged in the dirt.
On the one hand, there is something wholly unattractive and unsettling about the track on the surface, but the truest art is never straightforward. Art gives you something to think about, it gives you the good and the bad. It makes you go back and say “hey, what was that?”
We’ve been listening to Rabbit Hole all day, and keep going back and saying “hey, what was that?”, and “what do you suppose this means?”, thus marking the difference between music as art and music as decoration.
For example, over a slightly neurotic-sounding opening comes a playful dash of humour, where the voice of an old man cries “easy does it, sonny”, just prior to Nelson’s vocals. Sweet and sour.
The youngster is undoubtedly continuing his growth, both as a lyricist and performer. His flow seems to grow with each release. What’s more, there is something undeniably Liverpudlian about the whole affair.
But most importantly, he is an artist with something to say.
