Neomadic review: 1990s east coast hip-hop with a Dublin flavour

The Neomadic Tape
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Artist: Neomadic
Genre: Hip-Hop & Rap
Label: Self-released

Dublin emcees Dyramid and NoGood make relaxed rap music for all the bugged-out beatniks and head shop hippies. On debut mixtape The Neomadic Tape, a thick haze of smoke hangs over the pair's late-night grooves as they trade bars dedicated to their favourite psychoactive drugs and alcoholic nectars.

The jazzy influence of 1990s New York hip-hop can be heard on tracks such as Savage and Languid Flowz, which blend scratchy samples and off-kilter rhythms to keep heads nodding. Meanwhile, the lyrics engage in a stoned mysticism only achievable during the darkest hour of the night.

There’s the odd occasion when the rappers veer too far into a languid vocal style, like they’re on muscle relaxants. But this is a striking tape that deletes 20 years and 5,000km, bringing classic East Coast hip-hop to the Irish capital.