Nyankobrq Teams Up With Snow Smile For “Utopia”
Sometimes, artists — in Japan, but really anywhere — get good at something, and kind of just pluck away at that for a long time and end up not moving in any direction. Producer Nyankobrq appears to not be one to settle, as they’ve teamed up with the rap duo Snow Smile to provide them a fizzy beat. For Nyankobrq, it’s a chance to adjust the kawaii-embracing maximalism they prefer in a way to allow for two MCs to work over. Nyankobrq maintains their busy sound (similar to what Yunomi did with them too), but allows just enough room for the pair to tag team over (something Yunomi couldn’t do, his song feeling more like a split). Yet it goes the other way too — non-pop-oriented rap in Japan tends to either embrace a throwback boom-bap sound or a watered-down trap approach that just makes you want to listen to Migos (or they venture down a more recent third path). Snow Smile go for something totally different, opting for near electro-pop, and it actually works for them and the way they tag team over it. Listen above, or watch the video below.
