The G.O.D. Complex (Summer Grind Issue 2012)

Wikipedia’s article on the subject defines a god complex as an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of error or failure, even in the face of complex or intractable problems or difficult or impossible tasks, or may regard personal opinions as unquestionably correct. The individual may disregard the rules of society and require special consideration or privileges.
I highly doubt this is what this next rapper had in mind.

Rapper Chip Gnarly (@CHIPGNARLY) has gifted us with G.O.D. (Guilty of Dedication). By the title alone you can infer that the tape will display a young man whose only crime may be dedication to his craft. In my listening I hoped before well, God, that I would see just that.

Chip Gnarly doesn’t disappoint.

“Intro (I Win)” is a bass heavy beginning to something good. Chip’s flow has a smooth quality to it that forcefully reminds me of Curren$y or maybe Wiz Khalifa. Similarly enough I can (much the same as Curren$y or Wiz) see copious amounts of marijuana being smoked to this track. I quit but I wouldn’t begrudge anyone if they felt the need after hearing this track.

“Gangsta Party” is something so operatic, so symphonic in the swell of it that I was surprised for a second. Pianos and what sounds like choral singers bind this beat but take it higher on Gnarly’s flow. I loved that most of all. And those drums weren’t playing soft either.

“Live My Life” starts with the simple sound of a cell phone chirp. From there an amazing sound follows. The biggest showing of that is exactly how many times I have started this song over. Currently I am up to four. This is a song about someone who isn’t truly ready to be tied down to one woman. To be completely fair, I respect that. At the very least he knows exactly what he wants and he’s honest about it.

To be frank, I was going to skip “Untitled” but hearing it made me stop and listen to some of the best rapping I’ve heard in a while. It captured me with the storytelling and the delivery. I’m a sucker for a good story.

Finally I got to “Thank G.O.D.” It starts with a vocal sample of Will Smith from The Pursuit of Happyness. It is a motivational track, the type of track we need more of. Heaven knows I loved it.

Chip Gnarly doesn’t disappoint. I said that earlier in the article. It hasn’t stopped being true. And after careful review, his only crime is being guilty of dedication.



Courtesy of Lucius Black for Royalty Magazine