Racecar Stuntman aka Na-Kel Smith is going to give you heartburn with his latest release, Skullface Bonehead. Like the cover, the music is deep-fried to a crisp. This is not the most lofi hip-hop album I've heard, but it is still satisfyingly crunchy. It's also sparsely mixed. The beat and the hooks are often far enough apart that you can get your full forearm between them. The elements of this album are not crowded together at all. Instead of a tightly woven tapestry, Skullface Bonehead is more like a loosely tied, barf-colored crochet blanket- one that you can really get your fingers and pull at the loops. Some people are hard on the album for this reason, but I think it's one of the things that makes it unique. Most harshly textured and roughly produced records, hip-hop or otherwise, try to hide their character behind a blizzard of feedback, but that's not this pro-skateboarder and Odd Future-affiliate's style. Na-Kel wants you to see his scars, his large oily pores, and bubbling, irritated bacne. As a flawed, greasy creature myself, I have to praise his boldness, if no other reason than he is braver than I for brandishing his ignoble gifts. This is not a backhanded compliment either; it is genuinely inspiring to see the ugly side of a performer sometimes. It makes you feel closer to them as well as slightly more at home in your own flabby flesh-box of a body. Further, It's why I have to recommend Skullface Bonehead, not despite its imperfections, but because its imperfections are intentional and part of what makes the album great!
