As a writer, you’re commissioned to put together thoughts, clever phrases and a few astute observations in hopes that it connects with a reader. While it is the job of the writer to be the historian, wordsmith or scribe, sometimes you look across and see that someone else conveyed something profound in such a concise manner that it almost makes you jealous. That’s the feeling I had when I pressed play on the most recent episode of Tank and J. Valentine’s R&B Money podcast.
“When you’re having the most fun, you’re at your most creative,” Tank said when speaking to the episode’s featured guest, Masego.
If there’s any way I could describe the distinct sound of Nappy Boy Entertainment’s newest artist, NandoSTL, it would be with that statement. Coming from the city of BBQ and Blues, NandoSTL paints portraits of overcoming challenges with bright colors that make his journey appear to the stage seem beautiful when in fact, it was ugly at times. Whether it’s a call-and-response anthem like “Y.O.T.A” that resembles a Gospel song or a soulful tune like “Loud” that feels like a shot of positivity on a tough day, NandoSTL ability to see the sunlight on a rainy day is infectious. Even on a track like “Weakdays,” it feels as if the Nappy Boy Entertainment recording artist finds joy in letting out some of the pain he’s been forced to hold in. Above all else, every song feels like it was fun to make. Each album feels like a warm hug from a family member when you return home for the holiday. His overall musical presence feels like love overcoming pain.
NandoSTL may be a new artist, but the love, joy and infectious energy that permeates through his music carries over to the stage. Much like the man who signed him, the St. Louis native runs from side to side of the stage like a kid at recess. Sure, there are parts of the music industry that are hard work, but it can’t be lost on the musician, fan or journalist that being able to make a living off of music is pretty damn fun. Everyone that buys a ticket to his live show is treated as a family member would be at a cookout. He may shout, “Hey cousin,” at the end of a performance or invite a few fans backstage to watch T-Pain’s set. Music is a unifying force and NandoSTL uses every tool in his rhythmic toolbelt to build a proverbial house where everyone and anyone is welcome as long as they bring the same positive energy that he brings to the stage.
Three years into his run as an independent artist, it does not appear that T-Pain is nearing the end of his musical career. With that said, NandoSTL is more than capable of carrying the torch for Nappy Boy Entertainment as it enters into a new era.
