N.O.V.A. Knuckleheads (left to right: Codaq, Tyson, Cake Man; in front: Durrty Harry)Earlier this year, New York rap collective N.O.V.A. Knuckleheads caught my attention with the surreally simple ode to money, "Origami," and I've been impressed with much of what I've heard from them since. New York can be a city trapped in the idea of itself, and I'm always thrilled to find artists looking for ways to push that idea aside and share a new identity for the city's hip-hop sound. As a young group still establishing themselves, N.O.V.A. Knuckleheads don't always quite reach that bar, but the standout songs on their debut project, Genesis, like "Floating Down Flatbush" and "Basically," offer something truly exciting and authentically New York. Warped tributes to reggae and dancehall, respectively, they feel like the city's subconscious boiling up through a sheen of vocal effects into a completely off-kilter vision of hip-hop. There is real promise here.N.O.V.A. Knuckleheads (N.O.V.A. stands for Numb Off Various Addictions) are a cross-borough collective from Queens, the Bronx, and Flatbush, Brooklyn, made up of Codaq, Tyson, Cake Man, and Durrty Harry. They self-describe as making music for everyone from "'conscious hippies' to 'certified street fellas,'" which is a pretty great cross-section to appeal to. Genesis is a fun, easy-going summer EP with plenty of psychedelic undertones and lots of chill attitude. It's the perfect thing for this time of year in New York (or wherever you happen to be), when nothing sounds better than rolling up some weed, rolling down some windows, and playing somehting funky on the stereo. Check it out below, exclusively on Noisey:
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