Young Nudy operates in the realm of neon distortion. Since 2016, the 30-year-old stylist has blended his sticky rasp and macabre gunplay with beats that could soundtrack Zelda, creating songs that are jarring and immersive. He’s rarely shown interest in veering from that style, and he’s yet to experience the commercial breakthrough of his cousin 21 Savage or Gucci Mane, but his consistency and penchant for merging his distinctive vocals with idiosyncratic production keep him on the line between “if you know you know” and legit rap stardom. With its vibrantly sinister sounds, pristine sequencing and spurts of Nudy’s underrated humor and flow versatility, Gumbo is just more evidence of his status as one of Atlanta’s most unique artists.
Checking in at 13 tracks, the project distills Nudy’s best qualities into a tidy package, and everything from its artwork to its beat selections and his deliveries on each song feels hyper-meticulous, yet loose enough so it doesn’t feel rigid. Each track is named after a type of food, and the beats range from muted trap (“Brussel Sprout”) to diabolical and otherworldly (“Pancake”), with Coupe, Cicero, Pi’erre Bourne and more supplying sleek production embedded with whimsy. When applied to Nudy’s varied topics and cadences, you get a small buffet of song types that encompass the gamut of his eccentric trap stylings.
For “Portabella,” Nudy cruises over gleaming synths and an aural bassline for a dreamlike druggy theme song. He lays into a lower register letting loose the hook, evoking the drowsy daze that comes from eating one too many edibles. It’s a little on the nose, but the beat and Nudy’s delivery are entrancing enough to give you the munchies. Meanwhile, for “Peaches and Eggplants,” 21 Savage and Nudy skitter across a subdued, yet ominous soundbed for a tongue-in-cheek strip club anthem that feels like Nudy’s own twist on a Juicy J song.
While Nudy never gets too deep, and his subject matter can be redundant, his flows keep things fresh. He can serve up rapid-fire raps or slow and murmured flows that can imbue a track with either kinetic energy or a woozy malaise, pulling you further into whichever emotional direction he desires. Nudy’s bleak sense of humor leads to unloading the clip, spraying clever boasts and flashes of sly, matter-of-fact violence. They’re icy, economical and funny. On “Fish & Chips,” he turns the act of murder into a matter of table etiquette. Sprinting over a glittering accordion sample (“Pot Roast”) — itself a touch of enjoyable discordance — he evokes images of a trench Clint Eastwood: “Disrespecting the gang, you got to know that shit like a crime/You got a warrant, now you is wanted/Now we is on it.”
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Maintaining its cohesion while avoiding monotony, Nudy’s latest is at once chill and animated — an extravagant adventure that’s as controlled as it is fun. Released seven months after last year’s excellent EA Monster, the effort continues Nudy’s stream of strong projects. The LP plays out the way its title suggests. Murderous quips, onomatopoeias and agile flows get steeped deep into eclectic beats. The varied sounds begin to blend with the flavors next to it, and like the best Nudy projects, Gumbo highlights the contrasting ingredients while creating a flavor all its own.
