Jiggy Drama's "Nerdside" has been chosen as Best Urban Latin
Album of 2011 thanks to the Colombian MC's flow, wordplay, and
creative drive. A catchy delivery over fresh beats makes
Nerdside one of the more interesting efforts in urban Spanish
music since Calle 13's debut album. And while Jiggy's
style of music will inevitably draw comparisons to that of
Residente, his music nonetheless packs plenty of originality.
What's probably the most interesting aspect of Nerdside is
that the album is light on radio-friendly tracks. Record
labels want artist exposure, which means leaning on rappers to
record songs that will appeal to a mainstream audience.
With the exception of tracks like "La Fuga", Jiggy Drama seems
apathetic to the idea of getting radio spins, as evidenced by
his subject material and choice of beats.
Jiggy's flow is more Eminem
or old school East Coast MC than what you might expect from a
Colombian rapper. His lyrics are brimming with sexual
innuendo and good old-fashioned rap braggadocio. Jiggy
still finds time to wax poetic on the obligatory ladies ode
"Baby Girl" with a vintage R&B hook. Much of the album
features a variety of delivery styles from the Colombiano
ranging from 90's rhyme-spitting to traditional dancehall.
Not content to drop bars only in Spanish, Jiggy flexes his
English chops on the Pitbull-esque "Ay Caramba" to great
effect.
While the album's lead
single and more popular tracks are Cumbia-based, much of the
production on the album remains diverse. The album's
intro is straight Down South production that could have easily
been a Lil Wayne or T.I. single. Nerdside features a
variety of hot beats with Calypso ("Last Summer") and
Electronic ("Nintendo") flavor, leading up to the surprisingly
catchy Blues inspired "D'Generación X."
Originality combined with a
diversity of beats and delivery styles are what makes this
17-track effort the standout Urban Latin album of 2011.
While not as commercially successful nor mainstream as many
chart-topping reggaeton albums released this year, Nerdside is
nonetheless an amazing album from an artist willing to push
the creative envelope as far as it can go.
Parental Advisory
Warning: Songs may contain offensive lyrics. Click ► symbol
to listen.
