If It's Too Loud...

Nolan the Ninja is one of the perfect rappers for those of us that miss old school hip hop. He drops the whole R&B chorus blueprint that has dominated hip hop for the past twenty five years. "Oranges" has a wonderfully sparse production. I would compare it to early Wu-Tang Clan, but it lacks that menace and sense of danger you heard in Enter the 36 Chambers. The music has an upbeat, nearly bouncy feel to it, so maybe we can go with Wu-Tang meets De La Soul? There are those of us that will think that sounds like perfection. Trust me, it is. You can listen to "Oranges" below. SPORTEE , the new album from Nolan the Ninja, will be out April 19 on Mello Music Group. The album can be pre-ordered here . For more on Nolan the Ninja, check him out on Facebook and Twitter . SPORTEE by Nolan The Ninja

Photo by Andre Moore Detroit's Nolan the Ninja has just signed with Mello Music Group, one of the few hip hop labels that puts out music we consistently like. His first single on the label, "IMG," has just been released, and it's exactly what we want with hip hop. It could be called a throwback, but mostly because it lacks any autotune or an R&B chorus: It's just straight out hip hop. Nolan the Ninja has this odd flow that's equal parts laid back and intense. This is the kind of hip hop we wished was made more. You can listen to "IMG" below. You can download the single for free now via Bandcamp . For more on Nolan the Ninja, check out his Facebook and Twitter .