”Kult Life: From Pain to Paintings” Shows a Personal Bishop Nehru (EP Review)
This is the 7th EP from New York emcee/producer Bishop Nehru. Starting out dropping a couple beat tapes before emerging in the underground off the solid debut mixtape Nehruvia, he profile would only begin to increase in 2014 by signing to Mass Appeal Records & form the duo NehruvianDOOM alongside the late MF DOOM & putting out an overlooked self-titled effort together that same fall. Bishy would leave Mass Appeal a couple years later to drop 2 full-lengths Elevators & My Disregarded Thoughts on his own, both of which I look at as some of the best shit he’s ever done. He would also drop 6 EPs & 5 more mixtapes but coming off the Mysteries of Initiation EP last fall, Nehru’s beginning the Kult Life series by going From Pain to Paintings.
“Rise” is a cavernous trap opener talking about being unable to focus on healing & going from the hero to the villain whereas “Through It All” shifts into sample-heavy boom bap territory setting out to let everyone hear what this gift he has is. “Hold It Down” works in more kicks & snares promising the world when it turns around, but then “Keep It a Bean” soulfully shows the difference between real & fake.
The sequel to “Abandoned” starting the 2nd half is cool since that was a favorite of mine off Heroin Addiction going for a Flying Lotus vibe kinda while “Forever” hooks up a vocal flip & hi-hats talking about being good for life. “Devil in New York” returns to the boom bap detailing his encounters with Satan in his neck of the woods that is until the cloudy “Fears” concludes the EP by confronting all that he’s afraid of.
Regardless of Chulo or more recently 4 the Noners from a couple weeks ago being recent examples of how hit or miss Nehru’s discography has become over time, From Pain to Paintings is a solid beginning to the Kult Life series & I’m curious to hear the future installments. Dioni$ gets a chance to show his influences as a producer & Bishy breaks down more personal subject matter.
Score: 7/10
