Curators: OG NAASH
“I am not average, worse than a savage” -OG NAASH
In a time where the prominent rappers of the past are discrediting contemporary acts, OG NAASH is working to bridge that gap. This Georgia-born, South Floridian rapper knows his hip-hop history and applies that knowledge in his music. Sure, he respects Lil Uzi Vert’s impact on the game. He even credits XXXtentacion for battling a troubled past to bring positivity through his tunes. For us, it was NAASH’s respect for the past that really set him apart.
When pressed for his inspirations, the southern influence was apparent. He quickly mentioned Atlanta legends, Outkast, TI, and Ludacris, but followed with New York rap pioneers, Rakim and LL Cool J. NAASH recorded several tracks over classic 90’s instrumentals, including Biggie’s “Party and Bullshit” and Method Man’s eponymous first single. He rejects the notion that the boom bap rhythms of the past are completely dead. “There are people doing it, but you don’t hear it a lot, everybody loves the 90’s”. This inspired him to do a completely old-school-themed EP. “I’m doing an EP with nothing but old school beats” he claims, “I plan on releasing that around August”.
When asked if he can adopt the singing role that some rappers have chosen, he joked “I can learn”. Even in a comedic moment, he showed his willingness to grow and adapt. That’s a mentality that’ll keep NAASH outworking his peers for years to come.
While he insists that his “main focus is music”, NAASH’s business interests do expand beyond the studio. He began describing the blueprint for what would become his crew's creative collective, Modern Media Vultures. “I’m tryna have a group of people that have a different set of skills, so money can circulate. When you put your head to it, you can get things done, but when you add people, it’s a movement.”
While NAASH was born in Tucker, Georgia, he now resides in sunny Dania Beach, FL
“Say, like photography, I wanna have people that do photography, that design clothes…” He trails off before reiterating that music is the vehicle for all of this, and none of the other ideas can prosper if his original content isn’t good. So, he’s taking the time to ensure his next project is worth the wait. “People think you just go into the studio and record, it’s a process, a bunch of stuff”.
In the meantime, NAASH will be performing at a few local shows ahead of what looks to be a promising summer for the budding artist. He stated that some of his goals are to “bring people together through music”. This weekend, he’ll continue doing just that. His next show is May 12th in Miami, details are below.
