Montreal producer Nicholas Craven has been behind a significant amount of the underground’s most compelling beats this past year.
He’s worked extensively with Mach-Hommy on Balens Cho (Hot Candles) and produced “RIP Bergdorf” off of Westside Gunn‘s Hitler Wears Hermes 8. Now, the renowned beat-maker is focusing on his own project and is bringing along some heavy hitters with him.
Craven’s latest output Craven N 3 finds him linking up with some of his favorite collaborators. Stove God Cooks opens up the album over a slow-building yet triumphant beat. The second track “Yzerman” features Boldy James rapping about gang activity once again, but he still does it flawlessly over harmonizing strings and repeating piano keys. Later, frequent collaborator Your Old Droog spits a braggiodicious verse over a sample of a crooning female soul singer. All of it matches the dusty, atmospheric production Craven has been mastering throughout his career.
The album takes an unexpected turn in the final two tracks. Montreal’s Connaisseur Ticaso hops on the track “Nouvelle religion” rapping the entire song in his native language: French. Nicknamed “the GOAT of Quebec,” he skates over this soaring sample as the pairing between both Montreal natives makes it a match made in heaven. The final song “Sud Wes Craven” is a throwback to classic solo producer tracks where Craven simply shows off his skills and samples the numerous times he’s been shouted out over the years.
Craven N 3 comes three years after the second installment of the series and is another stellar showcase for the rising producer. The brief project clocks in at nine lyrically dense tracks that assert Craven’s prowess as a producer-rapper-curator enigma.
Listen to ‘Craven N 3’ by Nicholas Craven below!
