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Ngan - Smell The Roses EP Review

"You, You're gonna listen.. This, This the revolution" boasts the emcee amongst rugged drums and a 3 note loop on the introductory track sounds more of a bold command, rather than an open invitation. And this, isn't a command one would necessary rebel against.

Smell The Roses EP is the first offering by Ngan (pronounced NAAN), a 20-something emcee/neo-songstress who resides in the Big Apple. In these modern times, we have seen an influx of artists who attempt to walk the very thin line of juggling the art of rhyming and singing. From the raw voicings of Ja Rule, to the dominating figure of today, that is "Drake".

However we have not really had a female emcee who has had the capabilities of carrying a strong vocal presence as well as a slew of meaning packed stanzas since Lauryn Hill was (mis)educating fools. And thus we have, Ngan, artist formerly known as "Prometheus".

Th EP opens up with "Evolution", as aforementioned, an eerie and raw sounding track with Ngan making her claim, directing the listener. and stating her purpose all at once.

"I bring you, positive vibes and a, conscious mind from a martian lost in time, where the golden never shine".

The intro then finishes off with a static-laden speech, which takes acts as the mantra of the project, setting a tone for the rest of the journey ahead.

The EP then takes a contrasting turn in vibes as "New York" is next up to bat. This was the official single of the EP which was warmly embraced amongst many and garnered positive reviews. I mean why not?. The production provided by "The Cancel" is as smooth as the liquid gold falling out of grandma's gravy boat during Thanksgiving dinner. A jazzy piano and string ensemble mesh effortlessly on track while Ngan is able to showcase her abilities in a convincing manner. Of course, the track is centred around the Big Apple and the concept of striving for your greatness, confidently claiming "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, its up to you New York".

The song then fades into yet another smooth and airy track. However, "Create" is more so of an interlude than an actual song. What follows, is "Shotgun Kisses". The lush production provided by The Internet's lead female "Syd Tha Kid", provide a nice pocket for Ngan to do her thing. By now, one can sense that the core of Ngan's lyrics revolve round topics such as love, and positivity and the realism if everyday struggle. In this song, she goes to croon "Love, you are the love of my life" over a supple guitar solo. Ngan's writing style at this point seems to be very free-spirited. As a matter of fact, it almost sounds if she's just going off of actual feeling, rather than words written on a pad with pen.

"Nothing Else" sounds almost as if it took a page from Frank Ocean's song transitioning on "CHANNEL Orange". Short in its length, starts off with the static interchanging of low-pass filtered soundbytes, and ends on a sudden click. The interlude itself sounds okay, although I feel it could have been left off the EP without messing the overall flow of the project.

The next joint "HoldMeTight (LoveDrunk) seems to actually be a 2 part assembly. The first song finds Ngan questioning the ins-and-outs of the in-between days. It also acts as an ode to the "support system" that is vital to getting us through those kinds of days. It then pitches down to a very chill and jazzy piano section which leads to what sounds like a reversed sample, with Ngan lashing out introspectively with lines like "My love is held captive under your spell, I rebel but it isn't enoug to get over it".

"Be My Light" is one of the standouts of the EP. A soulfully produced track courtesy of Sanji Jumanji, which could easily be mistaken for an Ayatollah creation, sets the tone as Ngan goes off kicks tales of reflection and a provides a look into the inner mind of distressed youth. Ngan touches on a wide array of topics here such as fake friendships, religion, and the desire to succeed. She begs to question if there is "time for rebirth" all while asking if one can "help her see the beauty". A strong chorus then sets the stage for her to go-off on the 2nd verse that is quite impressive. You also get to note the difference in Ngan's voice inflection and pitch when she's rhyming and when she's singing.

"Shine" takes it down a notch and we find Ngan starting off the track penning what seems to be an uplifting letter to a random recipient,

"I'm writing you in advance, I hope this letter arrives around the time when its more quiet outside/
Peace beyond the wanders of this land and the love that lasts, infinity within the hearts of every man/
It can stand a chance, the world's in the palm of your hands/
Understand that, your dreams will move mountains/
Survive the greatest floods to watch the waters wash away the castles built on sand, this lifespan is like the fade of a star"

It's quite the contrast from the previous, as this seems like an open invitation for inspiring self and others. As where "Be My Light" seems to focus on certain negatives, "Shine" seems to focus more so on the future tense, hoping that we "never have to dwell on whats left in the past". The song then out into a chilled out instrumental, one that is composed of dirty hi-hats, swinging drums and a static covered piano sample, something a hip-hop production buff like myself just loves.

The EP then closes out with "1Love" which is the only song to have a guest feature. We find Ngan trading bars with her partner-in-rhyme "Thurteen". Borrowing a tidbit from Nas' One love in the chorus, the dynamic duo kick rhymes in question, verbally yearning for a larger purpose in living, self fulfillment and the greater good.

Overall, the EP provides the definite soundtrack for a chill mid-summer afternoon. It can easily be the score for whenever you decide to slow things down amidst the chaos of life, in order to focus on the simple beauties that may not resonate loudly enough when we become tunnel visioned. Although clocking in at only 24 minutes, it's a nice showing out for the young emcee/songstress. This teaser will definitely have heads looking deeper into the artist's bodies of work. And if Ngan's purpose is to "turn you NGANbelievers into dreamers", well there's no doubt that she is on the right path.

DOWNLOAD:

NGAN - SMELL THE ROSES EP https://www.mediafire.com/folder/eg25642n70mud/Smell_The_Roses

VISIT HER WEBSITE:

NGANCHALANT.COM

Follow NGAN on Twitter: @NGANtoxic

-PASSPORT|kenny

Field Notes