Evan Nabavian mosied off gracefully
Tanya Morgan braved the the rap Internet when it was largely uncharted territory. Nobody knew if blog hype and cosigns meant anything in the real world or if zshare numbers could put you on Billboard charts. This was 2006, before the enlightenment of smartphones, Twitter, and Soulja Boy. For better or worse, Tanya Morgan’s backpack bonafides steered their course clear of major label money and they avoided the checkered destinies of fellow Nah Right expats like Wale, Kid Cudi, Charles Hamilton, and Asher Roth.
Instead, nine years of indie hustle pass and their new free EP opens with the warm regards of their fans: “This better be good.” 12 Minutes at Karriem’s is economical; it borrows dope beats from Karriem Riggins’ 2012 Alone Together album and it eschews lofty concepts in favor of fun and good rapping. Their cynicism bleeds through when Von Pea bemoans clamoring fans who slept on the last album and won’t come to shows. Or maybe that’s earnestness. Listeners can relate when Von vents about being typecast as a backpacker even though he loves Mike Will. All of this is done with show-and-prove flows and a dry sense of humor. It’s easy to love Tanya Morgan because they still rap like they live down the hall from you.
