“I’m a grown kid now,” Pink Navel aptly raps on the introductory track of their new album Born on the Stairs. The Boston (and currently Maine) rapper channels their aesthetic and rhymes in respect for things like Disney channel commercial breaks, Carton Network early 2000s cartoons, and Nintendo memorabilia (their rarest piece being two unopened Shovel Knight amiibos): a grown kid. Although you will hear these commercial breaks during a set of theirs while they make magic happen with their SP-404 (and other attachments decorated with the head of Wario), their sound is a glowing contrast of these nostalgic trophies with wavering electronic synthesizer melodies, jagged boom-bap drums and sharp-cutting raps. The scattered sound, which they described last year as “ancient spell book translation,” is the result of what makes up Pink Navel like history of being in an emo and punk band, collecting Nintendo Gamecube games (their favorite piece being a copy of Animal Crossing with the special memory card), and an affinity for rap music.
Born on the Stairs is mostly produced by Pink Navel and the production speaks almost as loud as their voice. Their production has a distinct sound: a trifecta of minimal electronic, jazz, and hip-hop. There’s a mix of catchy melodies sound stylishly drunk over swinging percussion, as well as soothing chords that inflict hypnosis. But their voice is still their most powerful instrument. They know when to accentuate like the infectious hook line on “My-Dude.Dev”: “That’s my dude!” Or when to stagger and tip-toe their lines on the instrumental like on “Brittlefingers.Dev” (which is one of the few songs with a guest producer, the beat wizard Kenny Segal): “I… feel… towered by irreverence instead of this meat shield coward… coward.”
Pink Navel’s newest album is their best work to date. It’s a sharp, honest, explorative, and experimental showcase of art rap. And some of this focused energy can be credited to them being a new member of Milo‘s Ruby Yacht label. Joining the label is “a dream come true” to them. Pink Navel told me they’ve been dreaming of this since they were 16 and it’s what has helped them be a lot more focused in their music. “I have learned so much just being around Rory (Milo), Al (S.al), and Miles (Offsite). I find them to be true masters of the game. I love being a part of the infinite loop of motivation we have going on.”
Pink Navel just finished up a tour with Haunter and will be returning to Boston to perform at The Sinclair on June 30th and another show at The Middle East on July 17th. They will also be throwing down some beats at Soulfolks Records (aka the Ruby Yacht HQ) first beat invitational on July 6th in Biddeford, Maine.
Listen to Born on the Stairs below or on any streaming services and make sure you catch a show or three.
