Promising Muse

Having spent the majority of his life on the south side of Chicago, it is fair to say Matt Muse has experienced a lot in his life. From the heartache that comes with living in a violent area, to the highs of his performing career thus far, Muse has definitely seen quite a bit more than your typical 25-year-old. The wisdom and songwriting prowess he has gathered from this journey has paid dividends. As if successfully graduating from Northern Illinois University and creating buzz around his music was not enough, Muse has now been presented with the opportunity to pay it forward. Muse is an official teacher of the organization Young Chicago Authors, a group that teaches the youth of Chicago to become better versed in their artistic craft. Muse specifically focuses on storytelling through hip-hop. And while I’m sure he gives great advice in the classroom, perhaps no advice is as valuable as the bar he sets on his latest record Nappy Talk.

On Nappy Talk, Muse paints the picture of an individual who has overcome intense adversity to become a monumental figure. This is evident straight from the intro track “Nappy N**** Winnin’.” Muse struts a ferocious and fearless attitude on this track. It may seem like he incorporates classic hip-hop braggadocio, but when evaluating his motives and story, it becomes a bit more complex. When Muse raps, “No intro, this an affirmation for the nappy ones,” it shows that he is not merely trying to tout himself as one of the greatest rappers in the game. Instead, it proves that Muse is trying to say that any marginalized Black person should be aware of how much true potential they possess. In other words, you can and will accomplish great things if you put your mind to it.

“What You On” is another song that encourages channeling the turmoil into something truly beautiful. On this track, Mother Nature and Muse tell the listeners to “run from the sorrow” and instead focus your energy into being the best you can possibly be. This message is especially powerful when you consider Muse’s story. As a kid from Chicago, Muse had the cards stacked against him in life. If he chose to just be complacent and focus on the sorrows of his surroundings, then he would not be where he is today.

“NegroSaiyan” elaborates more on this message by exposing how the media tries to silence young black men in America. Muse responds to this censorship by referencing Dragon Ball Z , saying that he will find the Super Saiyan within him and fight back with force. This track is a smart blend of political critiques and humorous pop culture references. Though the track is serious in tone, you cannot help but grin along to it. “Shea Butter Baby” is another track that is sure to put listeners in a very emotional state. This song feels very welcoming and encompassing due to its groovy chordal synth pattern and its warm vocal hook. On top of this, Muse sports yet another sharp verse, proving that his lyrical prowess is easily transferable to smoother styles of production.

Despite Muse’s impressive poetry on this record, it is hard to deny that the production is less than stellar. He tends to pick beats that dabble very much in trendy trap tropes that overall lack creativity. Had Muse not absolutely killed this project, it would be hard to give this thing any praise. Almost every song features very generic hi-hat sounds, typical 808 style kicks, and lifeless sounding snare sounds. On top of this, the hooks are definitely hit or miss. Muse tends to play it safe, which at times works, but ultimately ends up missing the mark on tracks like “Don’t Tweak” and “Same Me.”

Even with these critiques, Nappy Talk is a very solid project. Although its run-time makes it an easy listen, there is still quite a lot of inspiring subject matter on here. Muse’s performances are inspired and his propulsive, jack-knife style flow should not fail to entertain listeners.