Feel Good Tapes Deluxe

“I don’t have a sound, sound is me,” Najée declares at the beginning of his 12-track debut album, Feel Good Tapes. Released December 2017, Feel Good Tapes is both serious and playful. Najée raps about determination and following dreams, but also finds moments to burst into laughter as he reacts to his own creative wordplay. This Boston based emcee has an energy that pops off the track through carefully placed words and frequent laughter. Feel Good Tapes is the sonic space where motivation and play share the microphone.
“Just Enough to Get By” opens with the sound of kids cheering, birds peeping, and the whistle of a referee or school teacher. Then, a reverse crash symbol transitions to the downbeat as an energetic kick drum leads its own kind of play with the snare. The bass runs up and down its neck. The filtered keyboard defends the middle of the mix. Najée begins to rap: “I drop a jewel just to pick it up. / Feeling like I’m bout to lose, got me standing up.”