Happy Friday, everyone! Happy Fri-yay if you’re really in a good mood. Even if your Friday is tomorrow or if it was yesterday, we made it through another wild-ass week on Planet Earth. As always, I’m your No-Fi King, Speed on the Beat (aka Mr. “Support Dope Music in All Its Forms”) here with new music. This time, I had the pleasure of checking out Chicago native Naithemosthigh’s GRWN EP’s Deluxe Edition, with production handled by Flapjaques. In a word, the EP is boombap-heavy. In a few more words, it’s the type of music I need for this morning.

Now, Nai’s sound blends Lil Durk realness with Lupe Fiasco circa F&L 1 lyricism and punchlines. It works incredibly well due to the lyrics, but also the lo-fi production we get throughout the four tracks. I’ll get back to the lyrics in a bit, but let’s talk about the beats. The four songs all are top-tier in their approach to 2020s hip-hop. Nothing feels cheesy/cliched in the production here. You can tell that Flap took his time to listen and re-listen to each song before getting to work. Each beat avoids feeling like simply a beat with Nai’s lyrics plastered on top. That’s specifically because there are moments that don’t usually exist if someone’s just laying vocals over a beat. Sonically, this duo works well together and the beats are well-crafted and they had me nodding my head until . He’s got beats and talent galore.

Back to the lyrics, no, I can’t decide which track is my favorite. That’s because each song, for me, is a different auditory experience. Yes, they’re all held together conceptually and by their overall sound. It’s a very cohesive EP. However, “KINGS LANDING” is vastly different than “GRWTH IS NOT LINEAR,” for example. “KL” is a Cole-like song full of boastful lyrics that showcase why listeners should give Nai a listen. It’s also pretty to-the-point in its delivery. The other, while it also showcases lyrical fortitude, is more akin to a man wise beyond his years. There’s a bit more subject heaviness on “GRWTH.” These four tracks give us a pretty expansive look into who Nai is as a rapper (and Flapjaques as a producer for that matter) while also leaving listeners wanting more. Needing more, really; the raps are crisp and the beats are, too. Check out the EP below and remember to support dope music in all its forms.