Laced with production from legends in the making Pi’erre Bourne and Metro Boomin, Slaughter Gang and 21 Savage affiliate, Young Nudy, has seen a meteoric rise in notoriety over the past year. And he’s effectively capitalized on this spike in fame, fortune and opportunity by remaining as consistent now as he was pre-limelight. Since the first Slimeball, Nudy has refused to take his foot off the gas. And since the first Slimeball, his raps have gotten tighter, his flow more experimental, and his delivery more captivating.
When Nudy raps, it often feels like you're listening in on an off-the-cuff conversation between friends. But more often than not, it’s Nudy arguing with his own psyche. At times it’s entertaining - Nudy has a sharp sense of comedic timing. And at times it’s dark, gritty and bleak - everything we’ve come to expect from the most authentic Atlanta artists.
Scattered across his past three full length projects are brand new Atlantan anthems, newly discovered flows (which in and of itself seemed like an impossible task in a post-Young Thug world) and, most importantly, all the signs of a great rapper in the making. Slimeball’s “Real Right” and “Rough Life” are stellar; as are tracks like “Blessings,” “Smoke” and Yep Yep” from the sequel. His newest release, Nudy Land (stream here if you missed it before/as/after diving into these) might just be his strongest offering to date.
Since these projects are readily available on all major streaming platforms, we wanted to place the emphasis on the slew of street singles Nudy has left in his wake. Are you ready for Young Nudy fandom? Trudge forward.
Let us know your favorite cut from this list.
"No Stains" (prod. by Pi'erre Bourne)
Nudy and Playboi Carti both approach Pi'erre's beats in their own unique manner. Where Carti makes ample use of the negative space, floating over a thudding 808 like the reverberating ghost of an MC, Nudy takes a more wordy, tongue twister approach. His flow on "No Stains" fluctuates between a steady bounce ("N**** hate on me, they ain't straight on me") and a slick mumble ("I got extra heavy metal, too many young n**** with heavy metal, push up on a n**** we ain't got no pressure (we ain't got no pressure) - we don't do the pressure n****, we bust pipes"). He always seems to be on the verge of falling out of pocket, but then proceeds to stick the landing like Meek Mill doing a front flip.
"OK, Again" (prod. by Pi'erre Bourne)
Another Pi'erre cut, Nudy sounds like a prime Gucci Mane here. The stream of consciousness of his rhyme scheme is apparent from the jump, but where his sporadic thoughts eventually end up is the real treat. "Today seems like a good day," Nudy opens, stating, "they say, "everything is OK."" One bar later, he's rapping, "so Imma spray that motherfucker, broad day." Nudy's actions in real life seem to be as unpredictable as his rap style on wax.
"No Clue (OG)" (prod. by Pi'erre Bourne)
This may as well be a Pi'erre x Nudy list at this point...but that's just a testament to just how well these two work together. Whether Pi'erre works better with Nudy or Carti is a discussion for another time but, if you ask this writer, this original pairing of minds between Pi'erre and Nudy is more stimulating and feels more organic. Even when Nudy starts rambling, he always brings it home, guided by Pi'erre's textured grooves. This OG version of "No Clue" is missing the Lil Yachty verse, but gives us a better sense of the chemistry between Nudy and Pi'erre. The infectious chorus is a great showcase of Nudy's sense of rhythm and feels like 4 different passable hooks crammed into one.
"Look How The 30 Hang Out"
With an uncredited producer, "30 Hang Out" definitely feels like a lost gem. One of the first songs to really showcase Nudy's idiosyncrasies, the song shifts between loud boasts to whispered threats that feel 100x more deadly. Nudy's charisma is understated and he should get his due credit for each of his songs playing like a theme park of reckless ad-libs, colorful verses and catchy flows.
"Dopeboy"
Featuring his best flow thus far, "Dopeboy" is one of Nudy's more autobiographical tracks. Home invasions, water-whipping in the kitchen, sellin' Os - just the way Nudy is able to present the gravest circumstances with a noticable smirk on his face is worth the price of admission alone. If that doesn't do it for you, maybe the unorthodox way he slides into that 2nd verse will ("Dopeboy...you ain't got your 95s on? You ain't got your jumpsuit on? Dopeboy Nike fit on").
"Studio" (prod. by Pi'erre Bourne)
Quite possibly Pi'erre's best beat here, "Studio" is a jam. "I got youngins they gon' shoot/I got bitches pullin up and they'll set you up too," swears Nudy, putting all of Zone 6 on his back. The crowded beat has a carnival vibe to it and is undeniably catchy, but it also pulls away enough for Nudy to get his bars off. An underrated collaboration between the two, "Studio" is a joint you can throw on repeat for hours on end and still not get enough.
"First Day Out" (prod. by Pi'erre Bourne)
A cult-classic amongst its fans, it's our job to make sure this one isn't forgotten as Nudy continues his rise to the top of the rap game. Nudy's take on the hip-hop staple feels fresh due to his sporadic use of crackling auto-tune and the choice to go for 4 hard-hitting verses rather than a tangible hook. Pi'erre provides a menacing & triumphant backdrop for Nudy's tunnel vision. From the stray T.I. diss ( N**** you not built like I/You more like that motherfucker named T.I/I'm more like Gucci, pussy yea I love shooting") to the hardest line of the bunch ("Mama ain't raise no hoe, she raised me a kick door'"), when Nudy spits, you can't help but believe him.