LaNell Grant asked for "dissertations" after we listened to her album. She didn't know I'm a master at those. See what I did there?
First, a little backstory:
I've been following Texas native producer and lyricist LaNell "Nell" Grant for about two years, though if you were to ask her, she might say I'm new to her world, because I just recently began interacting on her IG posts. But I was there way before that. When I first heard her rap, I was instantly drawn to her aura and flow. Something about the way she spun her words told me she was ahead of her time and that I should continue to pay attention to her artistry.
As a 53-year-old who was on the scene when hip hop started, I'll be honest and say that these days I don't really fool with what's out. Much of the greatness of the art form has been lost--dare I say trampled on--and I feel like I've been waiting for history to repeat itself for an eternity. There are only a couple of rappers who have my attention, for very specific reasons. Aside from them, no one has had my full attention this way in many years. To be clear, for an artist to have my full attention means I not only enjoy their content but also their whole vibe. I'm attracted to a certain energy, and although I may like some artists' songs, I may not care for them as people, based on the way I see them carry themselves in the media. My interest in an artist is built by way of a sort of study of them and their work. Because my life's work is words and stories, I take the art of wordplay very seriously.
In addition to posting entertaining reels and clips of her family, several months ago Nell, who used to be an English teacher, began doing something called Nell Word of the Day, where she would take a lesser-used word from the Dictionary or Thesaurus, give us the meaning and part of speech, and then spit a short, powerful, educational, witty verse using the word, accompanied by music she produced. Not many people know this, but the Thesaurus is my favorite book. It's the best writing tool ever. I use it for all my work; it'll likely get used during this review. There are times when I want an alternate word for the most common of them, and I can't think of all of them fast enough. The Thesaurus saves me every time. That said, when Nell began this fun journey, it excited me. I was tuned in frequently before, but once this was on deck, I was locked in daily. I had never seen any other rapper or producer do anything like it. Her passion for words and their usage gave me hope for the future of hip hop. This is when I started commenting on posts. I had studied her enough. She was the real deal. Everyone loved what she was doing and the positive impact she was having on them, including me, and I let it be known in the comments how refreshing it was.
Soon, Nell began talking about doing her first solo album, and my ears and eyes instantly perked up even more. Again, I've been watching her from the corner, so to speak, so I've heard her other singles, "Reflection" and "Call on Me," which were released last year, as well as watched her Women Produce video series and other shorts on YouTube. If she was serious about doing an album, then I knew I'd be serious about supporting it. She was and she did.
Fast forward to today, May 24, the official release date of I Ain't Gone Hold You, Nell's first solo album, which she wrote and produced. If you know anything about firsts in the artistry world, then you understand how important they are. To make a lasting impression that leaves people singing your praises, you can't just throw it together and hope for the best. You need a certain amount of confidence in your abilities and the quality of the work you intend to deliver. It's not that it's not scary or that you don't worry about how well it will be received, but you know you're ready to be received, come what may. LaNell Grant was definitely ready for this venture.
I Ain't Gone Hold You is first-rate, forward-thinking, captivating, and educational. It's also faith based, so it's clean and family friendly, not a curse word to be found. Even if you have a potty mouth and are accustomed to, enjoy, or prefer rap songs filled with obscenities and X-rated content, this album is superbly lyrically distracting, so you won't miss any of it. Nell is committed to her faith in God, and her life and verses showcase the beauty and depth of that vow. Her musical prowess, storytelling, flow, and use of language are superior. This woman is smart, intentional with her messages, and dedicated to making sure she gives the people what they need and want. And there's not a track on it that I feel compelled to skip.
This isn't just a hip-hop album, which is why it took me four full listens to the album to figure out how to describe it. To me, it's an ode to faith, inner growth, and love. Nell does more than rap; she serves up a beautiful balance of what I call "street and sweet." The first half of the album is where she takes it to the street, unleashing crafty, flawlessly articulated and enunciated bars that prove why she belongs on the mic and has the right to call herself a rapper, all while slangin' arresting, layered beats in your ears that sound like she's been producing for decades, when in reality it's been less than 10 years. It's clear from the first track that she didn't come to play, even though she was obviously having the time of her life in the studio. Countless metaphors that stop you in your tracks and make you shake your head at how smoothly she dropped them and ran to the next one, while you're still marveling at what she just left you with. Subject matter that makes you think about whether you're living your best life (right up my alley!). Scenarios that make you reassess your faith, no matter what philosophy you subscribe to.
Then, unexpectedly but definitely not regretfully, she swings way over to the other side of the pendulum and lays the sweet side of herself on you, revealing another surprise: she can sing! No, not like Mariah or Whitney, but she can do more than just hold a note. She has a pretty voice, and to go with it a heart bursting with love for her life, her kids, and her husband, which she spends part of the next half of the album celebrating. I heard Nell say in a live video some months back, regarding her love for her husband Cory, "I've always been ooey-gooey." This album reveals exactly what she meant by that. Her husband and kids all have cameos, and what I love about her "ooey-gooey" side is that even as she gets vulnerable about what and how much they mean to her, she still throws flaming bars. She may have switched gears emotionally, but she continues going full throttle energetically and skill wise.
I wish I could tell you what my favorite track is, but right now I can't. They're all too strong. I will say that the ones I find myself quoting the most are "God's Timing," "Second Wind," and "Everything." As I continue to digest each song, one will likely be the chosen fave. Some of my favorite lines from each track are as follows:
"Everything": 1. I could never count a manmade dollar as my Powerball. 2. If we delay our indulgence/then we can bake this in the oven/slow and steady, that's the pace/perfect the texture, that's the base/crust them edges, that's for taste/and save that juice, cuz it's our gravy.
"Answer by Fire": 1. Facts/it be in the acts/acts be in the actions/proof is in the pudding/trees bear they fruit then. 2. We was dancin' wit' the enemy/didn't understand his vice grip is a Tango/wit' a grip like Thanos/wit' a chip like Pringles/on our shoulders.
"Unequivocal": I pray compassion don't miss me and catch me wrong on a Tweet/I pray I handle my come-up with enough humility/I pray my flesh don't get stirred up and walk me to guillotines.
"Second Wind": 1. Cuz it's a set-up/And I upset like a underdog wit' a bite that won't let up. 2. Whatchu rely on?/Whatchu cling to?/Whatchu trust in?/Whatchu lust in?/Tell me yo' type of glutton/Mine was myself. 3. Objects in the mirror are more sinister than they appear.
"God's Timing": 1. But that mind of poverty/it be a sham/it'll have you goin' hard for the clams/in the wrong direction/away from yo' fam. 2. Just know that everything's shiny/just know the beats still gon' be grimy/just know the heat crack like a lightnin'/only difference is I'm right in alignment with all of my assignments. 3. I'm a piece'uh art and a piece'uh work/you can buy the album when you buy the merch/straight from ya girl/you can skip the clerks.
"Don't Let'em Swamp Ya": 1. Pray you don't play cat and mouse with a fox/Don't let no lame tell you whatchu not/they sound like trickery dickery dock. 2. Any lil boy can make 'em/but not every grown man can stand up and raise 'em/you want a real one/one like yo' daddy/one like yo' pappy/when you nine months he'll still think you a baddy.
"Collect Call": 1. I hit my knees/I had to weep/I had to groan/now I'm grown. 2. Nelly is regular-degular/I be in sweats without sweatin'/I only address it cuz I know some girl somewhere in depression/who she is on the inside is what's special/but she can't see past the pressure/of what she measure/in her bra line/in her thigh gap/how her teeth look/if her waist snatched/wit' that make-up/she git big claps.
"I Hope You Know": 1. You done cleansed yo' bride/boy you deserve a thesis/a dissertation/standin' ovation/worker's compensation/hundred mo' vacations/condos on the water/five-star reservations/anything with you cuz the time is never wasted.
"Don't Forget (feat. Tim Woods)": Dang these thoughts/man they be creepin'/and I be peepin' all these demons/yeah I see 'em/My God I repent/Lord please forgive me/they in the mirror/not over yonder but right up under/where I breathe/between my gums/on my tongue/Jesus Christ man/I can see/that it's me/I ain't gone lie/dang it's me.
"Reflection": 1. Performing/dangerous drug/performing a.k.a. I want love/and I wish I had that truth when I needed it/I wish I knew my worth and then exceeded it. 2. Hope I got more God than I show y'all up in my stories.
"I Ain't Gone Hold You": 1. Had beats on my hard drive/thought that I had made 'em wrong/turns out they was for me/I was takin' long/turns out I'm Chef Bar-O-G/put my apron on/tried to leave the kitchen prematurely but my cake was on. 2. If you needed a wake-up call/hope I was Folgers.
Whether you're a hip-hop aficionado, only partake sometimes, or not at all, I strongly advise you to support this project so you can hear what true hip hop sounds like in 2023, especially coming from a woman who also creates the beats. You can go ahead and speak LaNell Grant's name in the same sentences with MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Missy Elliot. Yeah. Gone ahead and do that.
I Ain't Gone Hold You is available on Even.biz, where you can purchase and listen but not download. To sign up, all you need is an email address. It will hit all digital streaming platforms soon. Here's the link: https://www.even.biz/releases/i-aint-gone-hold-you
Grab it, enjoy it, learn from it. Happy listening!
Charlene E. Green
Author, Publishing Coach, Empowerment Poet, Life Coach
Hustle Diva Speaks Enterprises LLC
