Uncommon Nasa

New York Telephone, ladies and gentleman, is the newest and honestly greatest album Uncommon Nasa has thrown at us since he tore his rotator cuff beating a cabbie for shitting on SONS OF ANARCHY. He loves that damn show, as much as he loves the massive ears and legacy of Reggie Miller and his PACERS. I digress, or regress, or both, either way I'm moving the Fuck on to the music.

Uncommon Nasa is a man of deep New York rap roots. Far too many either dwell on that, or are clueless to it. Guys, the man engineered and mixed most of all the early Definitive Jux albums. Nasa also appeared as a part of his now disbanded group The Presence, on the Atoms Family compilations, and Definitive Jux presents compilations. Outside of those, he formed his own label Uncommon Records and released albums from Masai Bey, Karniage, Acid Reign, Eleven AM, and so many other dope acts (cough, DCK VNNGT, cough).

Last year saw the Staten Island gawd release the impressive Land of the Way It Is, and switch the direction of his label, while marking a clearer push in his own career as a solo act. This year, with the New York Telephone album he sticks his entire New Balance-covered foot in the ass of an already stellar list of releases, and not so gently wiggles his toes to push towards the front of the pack.

The record opens with a grumpy ass New Yorker shitting on a street musician for not earning his stripes, and ruining music for passersby. fucking dick move, Nasa! Now you'll never get that ever-elusive busking audience you've cried about.

What got me all weepy at first run of the album was the running theme of the interludes. I miss fucking clever, awesome rap interludes, guys. He taps friends Prem Rock, Curly Castro and AM Breakups to talk about being New Yorkers, and what it means to them. The second weak-kneed moment comes when the mega catchy and raw "Desperate Times (Crushed!)" comes on. I want to make this my phone ringer but Microsoft blows ass and wont let me. I plays it when I pay bills, then I run around burning said bills throughout my house, in undies yelling the hook at my animals. Sorry fuzz buckets.

The next stand out brings up memories of when New York cats created anthems. Even if you didn't particularly relate to the very details of the story, you felt the heart of what was said. Insert (gently guys, don't rush it) “574s” and the awesome Elucid-featured, "This Bodega's Trying To Kill Me” and two of my favorite simple, yet infectious hooks of the year. “574s” is a love letter to New Balance, but also a statement on finding something you love and putting everything you have into it. While “This Bodega…” is a socioeconomic commentary on the little corner store spots in the hood, selling garbage to us on low mark downs, but resulting in high cholesterol levels and heart disease.

If there's anything common about the prog rap evil genius, it's his consistent honesty and passion for the art of music, and his city. On "Paranoia or Perception" he gets all deep in the feels of everyone who experienced 9/11, but from the view point of a native NY resident who's now a little PTSD, like since they watched their city burn. Heavy as Louie Anderson sitting on Dom Delouise bros. The question is though, since that cultural mind Fuck, is our paranoia helping protect us, or hurt us more? Freud, I needs you lil'buddy.

Everything else about him is highly uncommon guys, I mean, who hates the Matrix movies? Seriously. Keanu is adorbz, and The Fish (Laurence to the rest of you mortals) is a stoic, expressionless Zen Buddha. Anyway, this album made me warm and tingly in ways I can only demonstrate in person but can't put into words. There are limited blue cassettes left on his bandcamp that only add to the nostalgia machine, but if you don't have a tape player, pick up the digital release and enjoy one of my personal favorites of 2014.