Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email [email protected].
Nosaprise Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades (self-released, 2010)
For a while, it appeared that the adenoidal Nosaprise's Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades, his latest official EP, was going to become Houston underground rap's version of Dr. Dre's Detox; new music-wise, he had all but disappeared these last few months.
Then, without warning or provocation, the Heavens opened up and Horse Shoes was here*. In it, Nosa is obscure and original and not entirely unabstract, though he does so without compromising his hip-hop didacticism. It's a proper showing**.
Y'allmustaforgotability: 94 percent
Nosa's actual fans will be all over this. The rest of the world, however, will likely - and mistakenly - overlook it.
Read what Y'allmustaforgotability means.
Best Song Title on the Album: This is a new YMF segment, made up solely to highlight the fact that there is a song called
"She Isn't Lovely"
"She Isn't Lovely"
"Lies Make Baby Jesus Cry."
"Lies Make Baby Jesus Cry."
Best Song on the Album: Opener
"Start Today,"
"Start Today,"
Most Impressive Usage of Homonyms on the Album: In the aforementioned "Start Today," Nosa flips the term "Black Sabbath" to go from dark rock reference to dark religious reference.
Obscure Fact(s) You Can Pawn Off As Your Own To Make Yourself Sound Smart:
• You probably could've guessed this by looking at his hair or hanging out with him for two minutes, but Nosa's parents are poets. And Nigerian.
• Another thing you probably could've guessed this by looking at his hair or hanging out with him for two minutes: He can play the guitar.
• Scarface once sat front row at a Nosa performance and (appeared to) enjoy the show heartily. That's the equivalent to making a cast-iron statue smile.
*It won't be available to laypeople for a couple more weeks.
**The instinctive thing to do here is to measure it up against Fat Tony's debut, RABDARGAB, another album that's finished but not on sale yet. However, that feels premature, and is a discussion worthy of more than a passing mention.
