“This 4 man combo is more than a team, it’s a division, and judging by the momentum and buzz they have mustered in a short time, Northwest Division is in a league of their own. Comprised of Vancouver rappers Junk and Hungry, beat boxer/DJ/hype-man Gboxx and rapper turned manager/promoter, Katch. NWD met in the underground of Van City’s budding hip hop scene.” –NORTHWESTDIVISION.CA
NWD has been a staple of Vancouver hiphop the last few years. While you can hear the influence battlerap has had on Junk and Hungry, it’s clear that they’ve moved past out-rapping emcees in the ring, and switched their focus to out-rapping emcees inside the booth.
Orange and Black establishes their trademark style immediately with dramatic strings and rapid double-time rapping in ‘0-60’. They follow that up with their video single ‘Dunning Kruger’ featuring Rittz, a song about rappers who have too much ego and not enough skill. While there’s always a wealth of material with that subject matter, Rittz does a great job articulating the issue with some well-crafted storytelling.
The atmosphere is aggressive and moody in the first third of the album and every so often you can hear their battlerap origins shine through with small punches woven into the machine gun raps that reinforce the content.
The album eases up in the song ‘Reflections’ where Hungry talks about his past mistakes and Junk recalls how KOTD shaped their young careers. It’s a much needed respite from the darker more angry first few songs and lets the album breathe a little.
The pace picks back up in the second half with the title track ‘Orange and Black’ where the composition plays beautifully off each emcees style. The production ebbs and flows in a way that maintains momentum and draws the listener’s attention while Junk and Hungry profess their love and dedication to the Northwest.
‘FU’ is fun, a more classic hiphop beat with a jump of harpsichord. Engineer does a spectacular job on this album, and NWD should get a lot of credit for working with a great production team. Snak drops his signature no-fucks-given style. This my favourite track on the album for its simplicity in execution.
Tonye Aganaba is a wonderful vocalist and her addition to the project brings another layer of musicality missing from the previous songs. UK battlerap legend Shotty Horroh also has a great feature on the remix of ‘0-60’. Fans of Shotty might anticipate his infamous double time here, but he flips expectations and delivers his menacing style at a more palatable pace.
Aside from the features their rapping style is consistent throughout the album, if you aren’t a fan of this tempo you might not enjoy it as much. In this project they display more range conceptually but their depth of content lacks commitment. It’s clear they would like to delve into more thought provoking material but end up only skimming the surface.
Highlights include the masterful production which builds and controls the energy, keeps tracks fresh and complements the expeditious rap style perfectly. The technical ability of both emcees is undoubtedly their strength but it was the intention that stood out. There’s more of an attempt to connect honestly through the lyrics here than just a rhyme skill showcase.
Orange and Black is an album all hiphop heads in Vancouver should listen to at least once. It’s worth it for the production alone but the content and features make this album a valued addition to their discography.
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