Evan Nabavian will splatter your melon like some Attica felons
Imagine Madlib born 15 years later, ensconced in late 90s hip-hop and PlayStation games rather than Spinners LPs and issues of Down Beat magazine, his music sooner found on SoundCloud and Bandcamp than CDs or retro-chic gatefold LPs. I can only guess at Richmond, VA producer Tuamie’s age because his online profiles betray little other than his favorite producers, but his work indicates a traditionalist who likes ribbing the orthodoxy as much as upholding it.
A 90s fetishist, Tuamie digs deep in the crates to honor the legacy of forbears like DJ Premier and Pete Rock. Sometimes. Other times he’ll grab well known tracks and twist expectations. He first caught my ear with a boom bap flip of “OG Bobby Johnson” that turns Que’s ultramodern trap anthem into a Loud Records B-side. Elsewhere Tuamie remixes a 1999 50 Cent track and 2Pac’s “Holla if Ya Hear Me”. These recall Madlib’s often forgotten remix albums — acappelas fitted slapdash onto a grab bag of loops. Today’s bedroom producers touting the novelty of their 90s remixes forget that Madlib has disc upon disc of random verses affixed to dirty beats.
But then it’s Tuamie’s more brazen work that sets him apart. “199993” distorts the Living Single theme into a cheeky tribute to the golden age that’s nostalgic but not cloying. Better yet is his flip of the Kingdom Hearts theme, which is the ultimate fan service to the sliver of nerds who love boom bap and JRPGs. What’s most important is that both tracks are addictive loops in their own right and not limited by their gimmicks. If only all 90s adherents were so savvy.
