Dublin MC Nealo’s collaborative streak bears sweet fruit again.
The independent artist has been branching out this year, working with like-minded artists. His last single ‘Just My Luck‘ featured an instrumental from Innrspace (doing their thing on this one too) and Molly Sterling. Now, Nealo has paired up with Irish hip-hop royalty God Knows (of Rusangano Family).
First thing you’ll notice is the jazzy instrumental. Innrspace seems to be the driving force behind the high fidelity vibe on Nealo’s new stuff, Rafino Murphy’s (Uly) bassline is supreme. The drums are cool and crisp, with the cymbal splashes filling out the high mids dutifully. The horn melody is a tongue in cheek counterpart to the mostly sombre lyrics.
Taking stock of his own headspace, Nealo deals out meditations on his past, present and future straight from the stream of consciousness. It’s all a little unsure, full of questions with relatively few answers. Contrasted by God Knows cool, calm and collected offerings on his own verse.
Collaboration seems to work well for both Nealo and God Knows. I can’t help but feel more artists should be taking their leave and working with those whose work they admire. Working with others, especially in the early stages of your career, nurtures growth and helps an artist define their individuality.
