Artist: Nissim Black
Song: “A Million Years”
Album: Lemala
Label: LittleBox Records
Genre: Rap, Pop
To say Damian Black’s journey from being a Sunni muslim living in Seattle, to becoming Nissim Black, an Orthodox Jew living in Israel, has been interesting is an understatement. The rapper has gone through numerous transformations in his career, with each change leading to changes in his musical voice.
On his 2017 album Lemala, Black’s sound seamlessly melds smooth party beats with melodic rapping and singing to create an album that would rock any kid’s Bar Mitzvah. Highlight track “A Million Years”, is an uplifting anthem with a great, memorable chorus. While the lyrics are directed towards Black’s god and not an earthly love interest, the track is ultimately about finding something positive to hold onto that can keep you going through good and hard times.
Black’s most recent release, “Motherland Bounce“, has a sound that is much closer to the rap and hip hop that currently dominates the radio, showing his style is continuing to evolve, but “A Million Years” is a great introduction to the artist. Take a listen to it in our Check This 2020 Playlist, and watch the video above.
The Indy Review 