After a typical opening for a rap album, Nemasis and Jay Womack come out with “Fo Sho”, which is pretty solid when they keep the flow, instead of the number of talking breaks. I’m sure that this is a tactic just to show exactly how street they are, but the simple fact is that these little interruptions make it difficult to enjoy the flow that they have. Moving onto “Intro”, a track lifted up by a dry, infectious beat that makes the smooth vocals laid down on the track that much more compelling. “Cock Back” has some minor issues in the style of the flow laid down, as the backbeat highlights the same parts of the rhyme scheme, making for a rut to be created when the flow is actually fresh enough to fuel the track. The backbeat is much more friendly during the fifth track, and as a result, the lines comes out as fresh and pristine as they have been on the rest of the CD. What made “Cock Back” such an aberration was the fact that on the rest of the disc, the backbeats are done with the utmost care to not detract from any of the vocal ornamentations on the track. I guess even the best of the best has a weak track here and there.
Nemasis and Jay Womack are intelligent, insuring that the skits don’t drag on too terribly long, something that plagues the otherwise great album done in the recent times by Intrizik, D12, and Atmosphere. As the disc rolls on, there are some problems with Nemasis and J-Wo finding themselves both vocally and instrumentally in a rut. “Shut Up” is the perfect example of that, as it uses the same pseudo-Spartan 80s-themed backbeat that winds its way through the rest of CD, and the vocal inflection each time they spit their lyrics more often than not puts the same accents on the same parts of words.
While Nemasis and J-Wo are not quite at the same level as a Relm or a Brother Ali, they show some potential on this demo. They tend to have an ear for backbeats that work perfectly with their lyrics, and some tracks on this disc, especially “Squeeze the Trigger, are catchy and could conceivably be heard at any rap-themed club. I just know I need to hear their new material before giving a final verdict to these two, however good this early demo might be.
Top Tracks: Intro, Squeeze the Trigger
Rating: 5.9/10
Nemasis and Jay Womack / 2004 Self-Released / 12 Tracks / http://www.greymilk.com / Reviewed 21 September 2004
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com