Bishop Nehru – My Disregarded Thoughts 2LP (Preorder August)

PREORDER: Ende August

Limited Colored Vinyl Edition!

Ten years after dropping his first mixtape ‚Nehruvia‘, Bishop Nehru felt that he was finally “in an artistically comfortable place to create” the project he had had in his head since 8th grade.

Not one to shy away from an ambitious endeavour – his 2018 full-length solo debut Elevators: Act I & II (produced by DOOM and Kaytranada) was his attempt at creating a rap Pet Sounds, remember – Nehru wanted Nehruvia: My Disregarded Thoughts to be “as eccentric as possible”. He delivered on that promise. Similarly to Elevators, the album takes a two-act approach, divided into ‘The Abyss’ and ‘The Escape’. Nehru strikes a distinct tone in each half, both lyrically and through his now much-improved, sturdier production.

At first Nehru’s both brooding and at his confrontational best, a “rap master”, “alone and lost”, looking to “turn they asses into ashes”. “Colder” and “In My Zone” are ominous and icy, and a fingerpicked guitar and wailing sax makes “WhyDoesTheNightSkyTalk2Me” drip with wistful melancholy. Then, with ‘The Escape’ comes a shift in mood. Nehru’s beaming with positivity, “keep[ing] hope and a free mind”, and bullish in his quest of not “lettin’ nobody stop my gift”. Uplifting strings and warm keys add tenderness to “Our Energy Is Astral” and “All of My Years”, while a playful breeze blows through “Me & My Thoughts” and “CAREFREE BLACKBOY (NuWave)”.

All over My Disregarded Thoughts Bishop Nehru displays what a scarily good rapper he is. From his flow to his wordplay, he’s the total package. But it’s the massive strides he’s made in production that make this previously used two-act gimmick much more rewarding this time around.