I suspect that if Nacho Picasso lived in LA or New York, he’d already be considered a national star. The psychedelic-slanted, lean-sipping, blunt-incinerating Seattle rapper is a regional star in the Northwest for good reason. He’s been consistently putting in work since 2011’s For the Glory., including a record with Blue Sky Black Death that deserved far more attention than it received (I’ve been meaning to write about the new BSBD album but I’m busy and it’s good and go Google it).
After a few listens, High & Mighty might be my favorite release since his first. The production slate includes everyone from League of Starz to Dahi Beats and Jake One. It allows Nacho to test out a variety of double cup loose flows. There’s also stealth emotion buried underneath the guns, grams, and girls veneer. He even sings a little bit, carrying the melody without marring it with awkward crossover attempts. You can see the DNA of Slick Rick and Killer Cam, crossed with a heavily tattoed and heavier drugged Rain City rapper. He describes himself at one point as “Charlie Chaplin mixed with Eric Clapton, if they both were black men, who had just started rapping.”
This deserves a more thorough review, but the Internet is demanding. Stream the album on Bandcamp and buy it if you feel so inclined. Do it while reading this definitive Julie J interview with the best rapper ever named after a type of corn chip. Apologies to Chip the Rapper, Taki McGriff, and Doritos Matisse.
