Project Review : Nemzzz’ Brand New Mixtape “DO NOT DISTURB”

Steadily continuing to make a name for himself as one of the most consistent rappers in the game, Manchester’s Nemzzz has been one to watch over the past couple of years. Unveiling his debut mixtape on Friday, his new project ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ has been highly anticipated for the past few weeks, with the Mancunian seeking to further solidify his place in the International scene.

Shaped by his tough upbringing in Gorton, Nemzzz uses his music to reflect on his experiences including heartbreak, fake friends, financial literacy, pathfinding and managing mental health amid social media addiction; as commercial has his sound has become with viral hits, its evident that conscious lyricism still comes to the front of mind for Nemzzz, and this is broadcasted perfectly in the new project ‘DO NOT DISTURB’.

Offloaded in the form of an 11-track project, this is most definitely Nemzzz’ most expansive drop to date. A body of work that seeks to bridge the International scene, one of the two features of the project comes from German rap heavyweight Luciano in “ETA”. The secondary feature comes from JayG in “VENICE’; equally bringing as much alternative dynamic as the International bridge, both tracks standout as frontrunners for the project.

The whole project, although typically finding joy from his typical bouncy trap-incorporated productions, still offloads tracks with different feels and emotions. Atmospheric, intense cut ‘DOOM’ gives way to the relaxed groove of the playful love song ‘STAR SIGN’. ‘NEED YOU’ sees Nemzzz ride the ups and downs of a toxic relationship whilst ‘REASSURANCE’ melds ghostly vocal samples with a stripped-back production as Nemzzz further talks about providing for his love interests. The title track ‘DND’ details how the run-up to the project was filled with hostile haters and the need to cut off day one friends, whilst viral hit, which now has more than 25 million streams ‘MONEY AND VIBES’ leads the way as the commercialised track with the most replay value.

Overall, the project is a testament to Nemzzz’ craft, and it’s easy to respect his approach. We are let into a more reflective perspective of the Mancunian, and despite a relatively similar style of production throughout, we’re given eleven tracks that all offer something unique – a different vibe, story, and replay factor. Today notably marks the deluxe version of the project, which further includes features with Headie One, Lil Yachty and K-Trap. This further leads me to believe that there was a lot of conscious thought behind the initial tracklist and its meaning to the rapper, as those three high-profile features would be a great look for any main project tracklist. Whether you are a fan of his sound or not, you can’t doubt that Nemzzz has an innate ability to create hit tracks. With more than 4 million monthly listeners, his top tracks collectively have accumulated more than 140 million streams on Spotify alone, but this project stands as the perfect opportunity to digest more of his artistry working on a body of work, and not just a single.

Project Rating : 3.9/5

Listen to the project below :