Yeah, she might do you some harm, but with the Lord on her side, I think she’s going to a-ok, okay?
With a glimmer of a fuzzed out distorted Seals & Crofts sample, Nana Bangz delivers more than the goodies on Alive. Take a listen to the song and watch her video below. Warning: this is that toxic shit that will make you feel, as the kids say, “some type of way.”
This woman has it. From her fuck you all afternoon frenzied energy to her don’t play with my heart cadence, Nana is legitimately a strong voice in a sea of Nicki Minaj x Cardi B copycat pussy pop rappers. Sure, the video might be familiar, riffing on Kill Bill and other Tarantino imagery, but her sound of low guttural primal boogie goes over the sweet samples of songs in a refreshing type of hip hop. She is doing her own thing, extra pauses between verses included, and for my money, her video collaboration with Jay Evans is something to admire.
The two created a video that is memorable, funny, and satirically-slutty while maintaining a bright color palette akin to the Coffy era of Pam Grier. Nana, much like the Jackie Brown leading lady, is not afraid to show off who she is (as well as how she looks). Her curves move as well as she does with her sword in this video, not to mention the AK-47 that pops up in this video as much as her wardrobe.
While many artists, from Beyoncé to SZA, have killed their respective ex-lovers through each of their videographics before, Nana is able to take the “I’m going in for the kill” mood and transform it into “my guy is bleeding, I better tend to his headwound” energy. I love it.
She has a sincerity that guys refer to as “wife material,” which only adds to her on the rise music career. There are many possibilities for this artist to go in, and despite the gun/sword/violence drama that works lazier talent to two year hype fame, she (and Evans) understand that Tarantino is more about poetic humanity than shock value. Like her words in Alive, the message of the song is continued in the video.
So far, this is the best independent rap song I’ve heard this year. Wicked good stuff and I suggest you check Nana out ASAP before she gets between Rocky and Rihanna. You know, you never know what could happen…
