Nio Tha Gift - H.i.p.h.o.p.

Nio Tha Gift - H.i.p.h.o.p.

Im a little late in reviewing this album even though I had put it in my top 5 rap cds of 2009. Sometimes reviews get done very fast and sometimes they take awhile to do, this was one of those cases. Overall this is one of last years best cds and a breath of fresh air for bay area rap music. There isnt many features, the beats are solid and Nio showcases his skills and talent on the mic with every track.

The album starts off with HIPHOP which is a great track to start this album off with. The production has a rock influence to it, some well done drums and overall a very dope beat. Nio does his thang over the beat as his flow is flawless and kicks some great lyrics aswell.

Unstoppable is a more laid back and chill track that has a real slapper of a beat. Dope bass and a dope voice sample bring the beat together and the hook is also very well made and a delight to listen to. Nio does a great job on this song as he speaks his mind and shows us his underated lyrics and delivery.

Dreamer is yet another banger, as Nio rocks a little faster of a flow and it works very well. The production once again is top notch as Nio rocks a beat that sounds like Kanye West jumped on the beat. Nio takes us on a ride with his lyrics on this song and shows us hes got a great ability at story telling and telling us about his life.

Flyin High is one of my personal favorite tracks on the album as Nio rocks another great chorus and displays his perfect flow and lyrics that are worth listening to. Nio destroys this track with lines like:
"Rappers take they note book/Fill em with alot of lies/live it then I write about it", this is a track that ive had on repeat since the day this album came out, great stuff!

Grateful is ridicolously dope, if you aint seen the video for this on Youtube then go check it out, its black and white and really fits the lyrics from this song. Nio yet again rocks another good hook here, and spits nothing
but amazing lines about life and whats going on right now. This is a real life track that really anyone can relate to, weither you from the USA, Canada, UK, Brazil or anywhere, this is feel good inspirational music right here on this song.

Angels and Demons is another one of my favorites as it features more uplifting lyrics, a great beat and Nios fantastic flow. You can really feel Nios energy and love that he phas put into this song and the whole album.
Yet another great beat aswell, and really proves you dont need million dollar producers to make a superb track.

"This is for the golden state, this is for the bay bridge, this is for the golden gate, this is for my weed smokers, choking on that grade A/ Light it up for 2pac, EazyE and Mac Dre!"
and
"My parents made a man, the streets made me a monster/ Got my ghetto on lock like a rasta" is just a taste of Nio on this song.

The Coldest has a excellent old school sounding beat that will bring you back no doubt. This track also continues the consistantly dope hooks that this album offers aswell. Alot of the time a hook or chorus can make or break a track if its to annoying or more of the usual bullshit that we get alot these days.
This track is a party track done right and has a old school "Put ya hands in the air!" type of feel for it. I can picture this track being a great track to play at a house party for the ladies, but at the same time is a track that the homeboys can appreciate aswell!

Amen is a track more for the hustlers, but is still a dope track. Nio sounds very confident on this track, as he spits some great lyrics and rocks a flow that could be compared to Jayz somewhat.

Paper Talkin features one of the albums best beats and once again Nio Murders the production as hes done for this whole album. Dont get the wrong idea from the name of this song, Nio spits bar after bar of exceptional lines with a flow that sounds like hes battling someone on the corner. As he spits on the hook "I got mine now get yours.. stop hating pussy nigga, get ya weight up/My paper talking and I aint got to say much"

Day And Night is a very chill and relaxing song which features Jimmie Reign on the hook and another well made beat that fits the lyrics in the song perfectly. Once again Nio shows his ability to do all kinds of tracks, as this one is accessible for the ladies but at the same time the playas can get down with it aswell.

You Are Everything is one of 2009's best tracks, the beat is crazy hot and the lyrics and flow from Nio are very nice. Once again its rare that a track will put shivers down my spine when I listen to it but this is a track that I can really feel and enjoy, this is heart felt shit right here. Nio shows how mature he is with lyrics like "Shoutout to independant ladies and the single mothers/ I wanna be your lover, your friend and your brother/ Beside every good man stands a good women, you are the guardian angels nothings above you"


This is hiphop at its best right here, fantastic lyrics, versatility, good beats and every hook on the album done well. If you have never heard of Nio then go onto Itunes and cop this ASAP, this is a very special album and one of the best of last year. Its rare that you get an album with so many meaningful and thought provoking tracks for people of all walks of life. Weither you are a hustler, a gangster, a single parent, a beautiful young lady at college, someone struggling with health issues or a 9-5 working man you can appreciate this album.

I look forward to Nios next album as he really shows alot of qualities for an up and coming rapper. He is hungry, has a breat flow, amazing lyrics and swag aswell. Nio proves that you dont need a millio big name features, big name producers or catchy radio tracks to make a great album, this is westcoast music at its best that I have a feeling people from each coast and every country can vibe with. I enjoyed all the songs on this album alot, there are no terrible tracks on this whole album and when I listen to this I dont skip any tracks, that is rare in this day and age.

9.5/10