I couldn’t get pass the dark ripped attire, topped off with a signature wide brim fedora hat this young artist exhibits daily. His stylish attraction was appealing to the eyes, but his music was what captured my ears.
Rapper Laze E Nell migrated from Jamaica to NYC several years ago with an infatuation with sounds from instruments. As this new American lifestyle takes a spiraling twist, he finds comfort in writing music. Life circumstances brought him into solitude in the bathroom of his Bronx apartment, as he tattoos rhymes in his notebook.
Laze E Nell carries this small journal around with him, chaotically jotting down words or small rhymes.
Although he has been listening to music all his life and getting heavily inspired by all time greats such as Outkast, Wu-Tang Clan, Erykah Badu and even Dip Set, he never made a music purchase. Until 2004 when Kanye West dropped “College Dropout” Laze E Nell bought his first CD. “I liked how it worked… the ins and outs… the Sound… the Colors of the music… the Message behind it” he states as he extols the creativity of the album. A couple of years later he dropped his first E.P entitled “A Cartoon Watching Humans”. With outstanding views and love from listeners, Laze E Nell took an unexpected hiatus from dropping new music. “I’m still writing, though. Just haven’t dropped anything. My growth is crazy. From my first E.P to what I’m working on now” Laze E Nell is currently working on dropping a full-length project called D.A.R.K (Demons Angels Rap and Knowledge) which is a code name for “The Ark” which also reference to bringing people to comfort and knowledge through his music.
Here’s a snippet from a single entitle “Umbilical” from the upcoming project D.A.R.K
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The little snippet of this song is pretty deep. I can only imagine the rest. I’m sure a lot of listeners will interpret it differently too. What’s your personal meaning of the piece? Let’s hear it!
The song is basically from a viewpoint of an addict. Someone who is already attached and under the influences of weed, alcohol and shit like that. In this case, the addict fears that they will draw in the people around them to become more like themselves, so they cling to these vices. So it’s like….the Addict is saying “you can’t sniff my line or whatever because I’m not trying to let you become like me” That person would rather hold on to those vices and kill themselves internally and externally so the people around them can learn from that.
Wow, that’s deep! Out of curiosity, what inspired you to write something this deep?
What made me write something so deep was an inspiration drawn from Schoolboy Q’s mixtape “habits and contradictions.” I’ve seen the terms and conditions first hand pretty much. I have a semi-alcoholic pops and where we settled in Amerikkka was in the heart of a heavily addicted neighborhood. So, me being conscious became second nature. This song is coming from a lot of built up anxiety I have for my people and love ones. It wasn’t just one incident that gave me the fuel to light the fire!
So do all your songs stem from the circumstances and the environment you were placed in or is there a sound shift in your music?
I’ll say 90% of my music stems from where I came from or where my parents chose to settle. The other 10% is just from my knowledge of how the world treats us aka minority. I’m always down for the enlightenment of my fellow brothas and sisters. So if I do have a pattern switch in my music, it’ll still be very conscious.
RESPECT! What’s one thing you’d tell your listeners to always keep in mind when listening to your music?
Every single recorded has a message in it. Even if it might seem like just R.A.W (pound intended to his track, entitle R.A.W) content, there is always something you can decode from my raps and use it as inspiration.
WELL! You guys heard it from the horse’s mouth! Check out Laze E Nell’s music on Soundcloud to vibe out and digest a message from his tunes. Also, be on the lookout for the full version of Umbilical dropping late Spring!
