ClanClan

I was contacted last week by an artist named Chef Noriega looking for blog coverage. Specifically, he was looking for a review of his single, “21 (Jimmy),” which can be heard on his Bandpage link above.

After listening to the record, I can say honestly that it was a decent track in the vain of Migos and Travis $cott. This sort of hip-hop is obviously not everybody’s taste, but there is definitely a place for club/turnup style records within the genre. I think Noriega’s mix could use a bit more polish. One of the important aspects of club music is that the track needs to ‘bang,’ so to speak, and I think the record could use a bit more oomph in the drums and bass. This is a minor criticism, however. I actually found the other records featured on his page, including “Aye” and “I Turn Up,” to be stronger recordings in that respect. “Aye” in particular has a catchy chorus and a nice bass line. If I’m Noriega, I’m pushing that as my lead single right now.

Moving forward, I think Noriega needs to devote more energy to finding ways to stand out from the pack. He shows a knack for songwriting in these recordings, but his content is a bit generic and sounds too similar to the other artists in his lane. The key to Noriega’s success will be finding that unique perspective, that star quality, which will propel his name beyond the many other club/R&B/turnup artists with whom he is competing for attention. There is potential here, however, if he continues to experiment and take risks.

Check out Noriega’s music for yourself and let me know what YOU think. Does he deserve to be heard? - Fly Academic