Bishop Nehru, Elevators: Act I & II

“I’ve been lost in my mind, seeing different (different, different).”

These words are part of the lyrics to “Driftin’” produced by Kaytranada. And after listening to this song over and over hundreds of times, I feel like my mind is in a completely different headspace than before I heard it.

Speaking of Kaytranada, he produced five tracks for Act I, subtitled “Ascension,” of Bishop Nehru’s Elevators: Act I & II, including a feature from Lion Babe on the track “Up, Up & Away.”

Kaytranada, a producer based in Montreal, Canada, has an incredible gift of not only making really good music, but crafting a sound around an artist that fits well and makes their talent stand out a little more. We have seen it in his production for Craig David with the recent single “Live in the Moment,” as well with Ireland-based rapper Rejjie Snow with the track “Egyptian Luvr” off Snow’s debut album, Dear Annie.

MF DOOM, a producer born in London and raised in New York, made his name in music being a dual threat: making beats and rapping. He is also known for sporting his signature gladiator mask in album cover arts and when he performed live. He produced the entire Act II, subtitled “Free Falling,” of Bishop Nehru’s project. Many may criticize DOOM’s inability to “modernize” his sound, but that is what makes it much more authentic, even more so paired with an authentic rap artist in Bishop Nehru.

In Act II, “Again & Again” stands out the most. Nehru not only seems the most comfortable lyrically on this track, but the sample feeds off the lyrics well. DOOM samples a song titled “Roots” from Nucleus, a British jazz-rock band.

Bishop Nehru has been a household name for nearly a decade in hip-hop. He hasn’t received the recognition he deserves for his music, but maybe Elevators: Act I & II, his sixth solo album, can finally push him over the top, especially with help from two of the best producers in the music business: MF DOOM and Kaytranada.

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