Sacramento-based artist Styles1001 unveils captivating hip-hop atmospherics across his new album Return of the BoomBap. The project of artist Dewitt Marcel Nunery, Styles1001 embraces a nostalgic hip-hop sound within riveting, dynamic soundscapes — comparing to the heady hip-hop productions of artists like Madlib, Pete Rock, and J Dilla. The release melds familiar nostalgia — like the unmistakable Marvin Gaye sample within “Life” — with melodic inventiveness, spanning from the chilly guitar/keys interplay on “Wyzdom” and the melding of distorted guitars and spacey soul in “Mind Control.”
Since impressing with his debut album The Solution in 2010, Styles has continued to envelop with production that emphasizes both atmosphere and melodic immediacy, continuing here in its embrace of boom bap nostalgia. Opening track “I Am…” begins aptly, with lyrics reflecting the push to shine a light within darkness. The illuminating thematic call-to-action invigorates alongside a mellow, hypnotic assortment of mellow bass, scratching, soothing wordless vocals, and jazzy key flourishes. The highlights continue in decisive form throughout, ranging from the rhythmic intoxication within “Afro Musia” to the Avalanches-esque, orchestral flair of satiating finale “U Afraid?”
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“I Am…” is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives. Stream the playlist below:
