It’s Midnight release time, and today we have the privilege to listen to NVII by Naithemosthigh. She is no stranger to Mellsville, so go ahead and brush up on your Nai knowledge. Without further ado, let’s get into the project.

Thoughts on the project

1. Walks: WOAH! That’s how we start this album. It’s strong and in your face with a familiar beat sample. “I’m talking top 3, and two niggas is sitting in the lobby.” This song also discusses the physical ailments that Nai suffers from and how they impact her life. She also talks about persevering beside them. “Walking a mountain without gear” reminds me of trying to navigate the industry alone and hoping you’re making it to the top. It’s truly a leap of faith, and you just have to walk. 
2. Who’s Watching: I feel like I’m riding around the city, about to get up to no good just off the beat. The effects and switch-ups are reminiscent of a long-forgotten era of hip hop. I would be inclined to say it was the golden age. There is a segment with a woman asking, “Where is your fire?” and when Nai comes back, her delivery is full force in response to the question. She’s a lyrical assassin with her response.I love the “who’s that creeping in my window?” She delivers this bar in several different ways to close out the track. 
3. God Body feat Jaynsanity: I’m dancing in my seat and ready to turn up on a Monday. There’s a club beat in the background, but it’s still classically hip-hop. I love the effect of Nai’s voice making circles in my headphones. That was a really cool effect. Jaynsanity comes in and matches Nai’s energy and delivery. They both stay on beat, and while they match each other, they still showcase their individual styles. Jaynsanity made me feel like a bad bitch on the verse.
4. Crash Out: Nai is about to crash out; she’s been on the road like a rolling stone. She literally includes cars crashing in the song. This song is definitely giving single vibes, and I can imagine a visual going to this. “Leeches that’s surrounding me.” Yeah, we have to get them out of here immediately. Otherwise, we might crash out. While I initially thought Nai was crashing out, she also talks about the little shit other people crash out about. Ultimately, they can’t handle what life throws at them, and they might even be full of envy for the next person who isn’t crashing out. 
5. I still love you.. Made Me Realize: This is a smoother, slower track. Once the beat switches up, you can hear Nai more clearly. This song is about heartbreak and relationship struggles. Nai heard some stuff through the grapevine, but she thought they were growing? The relationship might be over instead of growing. This might be my least favorite song, at least the first half is. The second half picks up, and I feel it fits Nai’s style more. With it being over six minutes, there is a lot of room for experimentation. “Thought that we was growing, but growth is not a simple thing.” This sums up relationships in general. You might think you’re growing, but you could just be running in place. It also feels like an ode to Nai’s song Growth Is Not Linear. It’s the little things that make a project truly great, and I am a huge fan of direct and indirect. 
6. R.I.P (Running In Place) feat. Muhva: This is a heartbreaking song. It’s very personal and pulls at the heartstrings. It’s about familial loss. This is something everyone can relate to to some degree. We’ve all lost someone, but for Nai, it seems to be a sibling. She talks about how they looked like their father and how challenging it is to move on. However, I think there are multiple stories taking place after I listened to it repeatedly. In one verse, it doesn’t sound like a death but instead a loss of mental capacity. Where she looks into their eyes, and they are gone. She also talks about how they stand still and how she deals with this by running away. One sibling is running in place while the other is running away. 
7. Insha’Allah: On this track, we get to hear about the pressure that Nai is under, but she is putting her soul into it. She is carrying the team on her back, and everyone will make it. This also touches base on her religious beliefs and even includes a prayer at the end. “If they can’t move with you, then fuck it, you gotta let them go” almost made me cry. That one bar is something I’ve had to deal with over and over. It’s also a hard lesson for many people. Sometimes, who you start with is not who you end with, but that’s not because of anything negative; they just weren’t meant to grow with you. “Community all around me when I decline” is all about having a strong support system. I cannot tell you how vital that is to success, especially when you have a chronic illness. Some days are harder than others, but when we’re in those dark places, our support system can truly pull us out of it. 

The project flows beautifully and tells a story., The beat style is similar enough that you can tell it is one body of work, but also different enough that you can differentiate tracks. I like how in the first song she says she hasn’t spoken to god in so long, but on the last track it’s almost a prayer, showing the growth and evolution of her life. This album has some deeply personal tracks and messages that we can all learn from. where you can differentiate tracks. I like how in the first song she says she hasn’t spoken to god in so long but on the last track it’s almost a prayer showing the growth and evolution of her life. This album has some deeply personal tracks and messages that we can all learn from.

Final Thoughts

The production value is beyond immaculate. I need a better word because the dictionary doesn’t have one to describe the exceptionally high production value of this album. There are such minute effects and details that contribute to the delivery and overall sound of the tracks.

If you want more Naithemosthigh use the following links:

• Instagram
• Spotify
• Spotify
• YouTube

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