Authored By Joshua Pickard
Over the years, Cinematic Tha Nganeer has held a well-earned position of authority within Chattanooga’s hip-hop scene, both for his own work and his duties behind the boards for other artists. He’s deftly blended the blunt swagger and attitude of rap with the more melodically-inclined perspective of R&B on various singles, EPs and LPs. His songs tend toward personal experience, rather than boring braggadocio, arriving at a place where elusive narratives and rumbling beats constantly amble from the shadows to the light and back again. As focused as he is on biting verbal tirades, there’s also an underlying awareness of melody and arrangement which offers a glimpse into the complex artistry that enables him to fashion a landscape where these various sounds coexist without restriction or qualification. Basslines slink and slither and pounce while he dabbles in a wide spectrum of percussion and rhythm. On past releases, “Game of Thrones: Rise of the Dark Prince” in particular, he’s been able to shape his influences into a wild and unpredictable set of songs that speak to his natural ability to tie genres together without sacrificing their individual strengths. On his latest record, “Dark Prince,” he builds a 5-track collection of minimalist beats, warped vocals and foreboding atmospherics. Featuring contributions from CD7, Floami Fly and Jawie, the EP is fairly brief, clocking in at under 12 minutes, but there’s a lot of ground covered in that time. From the scorched rhythms of opener, “Man,” to the club bounce of closing track, “Dancin’,” it doesn’t waste any time expressing itself, blending intimate observations with a piercing hip-hop theatricality. These songs are absolutely compelling and weighted in their emotional resonance, appealing to the head and heart as much as they do to the full body. Cinematic creates this character for whom success is measured not just in money, respect and fame (although that’s certainly part of it) but in experience and self-betterment. “Nun Else” expertly wields its rumbling bass and prickly beat to great effect while “Vvs” crafts a palpable tension and anxiety before slowly rolling back into the shadows. “Domino” achieves a fascinating equilibrium between its harsher lyrical aspects and its more experimental musical tendencies—it highlight his preternatural understanding of how these sounds interact and play off one another. Whether taken whole or piecemeal, “Dark Prince” once again places the spotlight on Cinematic’s unique melodic approach and finds him reaching for new ways to wield his mesmerizing creativity. https://open.spotify.com/album/4Obp4XQuO6HtXOGmJxL5v7 Joshua Pickard covers local and national music, film and other aspects of pop culture. You can contact him on Facebook, Twitter or by email. The opinions expressed in this column belong solely to the author, not Nooga.com or its employees.
