Opening with a retro jazz sound with a classic soulful Motown edge, Nick Bowens had me on tenterhooks before he even uttered a single word in The Man. The thumping beats with a slick vocalist adding ad-libs to give the piece a consistently shifting and ever changing presence allows him to throw himself head first into a lyrical marvel that invites us behind the curtain of his mind. With a flurry of expressive lyrics that perfectly portray his personal grievances he’s experienced throughout his life and his journey til now, going through the hardships and glorious moments before venturing into his goals and how’s not looking for handouts. He wants to work his butt off like he’s doing now to get to where he envisions himself being. As the titles suggests, he wants to be the man, a self made man who didn’t get to the top via other peoples hard word and the handouts they gave him. You’ve got to admire his determination to get to the point he’s at already and how he’s not stopping anytime soon to reach his goals. You just have to look at his discography to see how much he’s grown since his debut and if this is what he can do now, then lord knows what he’s gonna be capable of doing in a year.

His passionate performance style with his evocative storytelling makes his conscious rapping absolutely top tier and I doubt this will be the last time he pops up on this site. Keep a close eye on this young rapping marvel, he’s got that flair that’s simple undeniable and the style, as well as talent, to back it up.