Album Review: Nigo’s 'I Know NIGO!'
Bold, colourful and finely-tuned—this is probably the designer by day, DJ by night’s best project to date.
I love a good victory lap, and Nigo should’ve been had his.
Nigo is a man of many talents: with a resumé that reaches far back into the cultural consciousness. The Maebashi-based artist founded the now-iconic streetwear brand A Bathing Ape/BAPE almost three decades ago and aided the reinvention of contemporary menswear with his Pharrell-assisted label Billionaire Boys Club in the 2000s. As of 2022, Nigo is the creative director of KENZO and governs operations at his newfangled brand, Human Made.
Following Nigo's 1999 electronic solo effort [Ape Sounds] and the star-studded second outing from his J-hip-hop group, Teriyaki Boyz [Serious Japanese], the 51-year-old designer-turned-disc jockey’s sophomore record unites the steadfast bond between Nigo and The Neptunes from start to finish.
It would be hard to talk about Nigo’s musical journey without mentioning that one planet furthest away from the Sun. Over the past 24 months, it’s been a joy to witness the gradual return of hip-hop’s flagship production duo, The Neptunes. While working only occasionally since N*E*RD’s Nothing in 2010, frontman Pharrell Williams and his shadowy accomplice Chad Hugo have become regulars on the release radar once again.
Since The Neptunes’ return, they’ve produced tracks for the likes of SZA, Summer Walker, Moneybagg Yo, IDK, Brent Faiyaz, and Pop Smoke, among many others. The rekindling of The Neptunes’ creative relationship and Nigo’s dip back into music has resulted in the triumphant release of I Know NIGO!
More than anything, this album is a family affair, a celebration of Nigo, The Neptunes, and some of the key characters of their extended universe. Veteran collaborators Pusha T and No Malice sound as fresh over The Neptunes’ production as they did in 2002, while more modern rappers like Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert, and the late Pop Smoke have their more trap-oriented strengths maximized as Pharrell and Chad Hugo meet them where they’re at.
And, of course, their more direct musical successors A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator bookend the project effortlessly. This project is emblematic of Nigo’s deeply reciprocal relationship with hip-hop, streetwear, and Black culture in general. His commitment to his craft has resulted in him developing the relationships that make this album more of a friendly collection of collaborations than some official corporate production.
This album also adds yet another instalment—and a new era—to The Neptunes’ joint endeavours into fashion and music. From the Billionaire Boys-era album Clones, Clipse’s Lord Willin’ with Star Trak Entertainment, Pharrell’s In My Mind, and now with Nigo’s Human Made line, each classic release has coincided with an important style shift.
The album starts with the intoxicating “Lost and Found Freestyle 2019”, with Tyler and Rocky. This track feels like it could be two separate songs while still maintaining cohesion through each beat switch. The first half of the song is perfect to me. The Neptunes’ classic, electronic controlled chaos fits A$AP Rocky’s blended Houston-Harlem flow like a glove.
A melodic drone, heavy trumpet line and a driving bassline allow his usual confidence and charisma to shine. The energy shifts hard once it’s Tyler’s turn, spitting deftly over this darkly comedic trombone. This freestyle speaks to The Neptunes’ ability to create the right sound for anyone, regardless of genre. Like Spymob drummer Eric Fawcett put it: “Part of the magic of what Chad and Pharrell do is that they choose who they work with [in the same] way that they’ll choose a paint or they’ll build the palette.”
The next track and lead single “Arya,” allows A$AP Rocky full freedom to flex his versatility, though he does so rather nonchalantly. The song is definitely good, but it had less replay value to me than other tracks. And while the music video does add some character, I’m not sure how memorable it’ll be around this time next year.
“Punch Bowl” feels like the ideological centre of the album.
“Punch bowl full of car keys for all my friends / you get to pick your own Benz”
is a pretty vivid image once you think about it, and it’s a very realistic one given the nature of the project. While they’re all connected by creativity, fashion taste, and talent, Nigo, Pharrell, Chad, Pusha, Tyler, and Rocky are also just a good bunch of friends who like to make stuff together.
“Functional Addict” is an instance of The Neptunes’ uncanny ability to mould themselves around any artist, regardless of what their previous work sounds like. I was slightly sceptical of what Gunna would sound like over a Neptunes’ beat alongside Pharrell vocals, but he slid. This track made me want to hear more of Gunna on some more textured, poppier beats like this one.
“Want It Bad” and “Morë Tonight” featuring Kid Cudi and Teriyaki Boyz respectively feel like filler tracks. They’re fun, easy, and draw fans in. It’s nice to get a solid feature from Nigo’s Teriyaki Boyz since they haven’t been particularly active over the last decade, and it always feels good to hear some new Cudi.
The A$AP Ferg feature on “Paper Plates” was invigorating, and the Yeezus-like robot noises over a strong drum kit will sound excellent at a big festival. The Kanye West-produced “Hear Me Clearly” shines after these three, as Ye’s darker production and Pusha’s almost prophetic verses—”Promises are when you follow through with your threats, nigga”—stand out during a poppier stretch of the LP.
The final three tracks show just how timeless the world that Nigo and the Neptunes have created is. Pop Smoke’s distinctive vocals shine bright on “Remember”, reminding us just how incredibly popular he likely would’ve been if not for his unfortunate murder.
If Pop Smoke was alive to have consistent access to this kind of production, he’d be topping charts all the time. This feels like one of the most complete tracks on the album, a strong showing of what transcendent production and a unique artist can create, regardless of age. That drill beat flows seamlessly into another, Lil Uzi’s “Heavy,” which, while not as spirited as Pop Smoke’s, still serves as a welcome addition to the album.
Finally, Neptune's biggest fan states his case. The last track of I Know NIGO!, “Come On, Let’s Go,” with Tyler, the Creator, is a lovely generational connection that shows just how much Tyler was inspired by The Neptunes, and vice versa at this point.
Tyler’s had a lot of Neptunes in his sound since his Odd Future days. The bouncy, layered production of this song suits him perfectly as he continues to employ themes of longing, wanderlust, and love in his raps. It’s a perfect match and makes me think of just how good a Neptunes-produced Tyler album would be.
I Know NIGO! will likely lead to a wider appreciation of Nigo’s contributions, as it very well should. At the same time, it feels more like a love letter than a statement, as he ultimately brings together Black artists to make more of the Black art that he himself was inspired by. If you don’t know Nigo by now, take a listen.
7.6/10
Stream I Know NIGO! below: