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The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Music Review: Nneka is all heart and no fluff on stateside debut album

By: Melanie Sims, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

2/02/2010 4:10 PM | Comments: 0

Nneka, "Concrete Jungle" (Decon/Epic)

Nigerian-born rapper and singer Nneka's U.S. debut, "Concrete Jungle" unfolds like a 12-track wake-up call - an unrelenting mishmash of horns, trumpets and, sometimes, steel drums.

"God is knocking at the door could you let him in?" the 28-year-old asks on accordion-driven "Showin' Love." She summons "Jezebels, Judases, bangers, bastards, prophets, men of God, prostitutes, popes, teachers, lawyers, all you scholars, rulers, chosen few ..." to take a hard look at what matters in life.

It's a challenge Nneka issues track after track. Even when her honeyed vocals are poured over the swinging horns of "Uncomfortable Truth," Nneka's message doesn't lose its bite. "Your system is a joke, no heart in it, it's choking us to death," she sings.

She orders listeners to reflect on their addictions and worldly temptations on the raucous, rock-inspired "Focus." And she seeks strength from a higher power on "God of Mercy."

With a sure tone and steady intensity on the reggae-influenced "Kangpe," Nneka gives a revolutionary tinge even to the old spiritual axiom "God won't give you more than you can handle."

She delivers her messages unabashedly, perhaps, most strikingly on the mellow-sounding "Africa." "Lied to us, blind us, they slaved us, misplaced us, strengthened us, hardened us, then they replaced us. Now we got to learn from pain. Now it's up to us to gain some recognition. If we stop blaming we could get a better condition," she sings.

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: Nneka's call for self-reflection is unrelenting, and "Mind vs. Heart" is no exception to that mission. "What is the mind without the heart? What am I without my shadow?" she asks over a haunting beat.

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