NFG TAH – Masha Ta

NFG TAH – Masha Ta – EP Review

Hustle-up NFG TAH – it’s time to get movin.’

Don’t get me wrong…I’m not sayin’ she doesn’t have her social media pages up & ready to roll…maybe she does – but at the moment, all I know is I can’t find’em.  So either we’ve got mad work to accomplish before the official release of the Masha Ta EP NFG TAH, or I need a flashlight to see better while I’m down in the rabbit-hole in the farthest reaches of the internet.  Of course, all of that stuff, social media pages & whatnot…I mean, all that stuff really only matters if you wanna push your career further forward – and that’s not everyone’s goal.  I get that.

But if you’re NFG TAH, clearly, there’s a career to be had here.  So let’s get it movin’ online my friend.

I have the feeling this is all so new in fact, that we’re still ahead of the official release of the Masha Ta EP – I don’t even have an official order for these songs I’ve got here, and again, couldn’t seem to track it all down online.  I’ve got these new cuts cued up in a random order…I’ve got notes here that there’s still updates on the production potentially coming…everything all seems really fresh & new & exciting – and it’s my job to make sure everyone out there is taking a breath and approaching their music & careers from the best angles they can.  Let’s get those pages up online, let’s start up that promo yo – NFG TAH, I can promise ya, I wouldn’t spend all this time in the intro here if it wasn’t key to your future coming up.

Because it’s crystal clear to me m’lady – you’ve got one if you want it.  A future, that is.

I only say this of course, because NFG TAH has the swagger, style, and uniqueness, no one can teach.  In fact, I’d probably go as far as to tell ya that if she plays her cards just right, she’s got the potential to be one of the most sought-out voices in the scene coming up in this next decade ahead.  Whether that’s making her own music, or jumping onto someone else’s to provide the hook, or both & more – I hear a bright future ahead of NFG TAH…she’s blessed with an authentic style of her own that really stands out.

All I can tell ya for sure is that whenever I put on “Daytime Nightmares” all I could think to myself was how we’re all standing at the very tip of the iceberg here…none of us really know exactly what NFG TAH is going to go on to do in a lifelong career down the road from here, and from this one cut alone you can hear the potential to be just as successful as an Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday, or Rihanna…ultimately, on this record she even sounds like some sort of immaculate hybrid between all three of those legendary names, but the point is that she’s got the opportunities to do just about anything she wants to with the sound and skills she already has going for her.  Listen to the art of the hook at work right off the drop will ya?  Not only does NFG TAH let the main chorus hooks instantly hit ya as you fire up “Daytime Nightmares,” but you’ll probably feel every bit as attached to her verses & bars to follow – from the lead to the background, she’s got this entirely locked down TIGHT with hook-after-hook-after-hook hitting you in a variety of styles.  She’s “a lady, and a thug” as she’ll tell ya herself – she might sound wildly sweet & stylistic yes, but if you’re listening real close-up, you’ll likely conclude it’s probably best that you don’t cross her or get on NFG TAH’s bad side either, you feel me?  This lady is SLICK as it gets when it comes to what you’ll hear on “Daytime Nightmares” and gets massive mileage out of this single-worthy cut – everything stands out with resounding confidence and savage style…NFG TAH is BOSSED UP y’all…and she’s comin.’  All-around, “Daytime Nightmares” gives you the biggest glimpse into the variety of styles she’s capable of in a singular dose – there’s zero doubt that’s she’s rockin’ with relevant sound.

Now witness her soulful style in action on “Smoke Room” y’all – like, damn!  NFG TAH is straight-up enchanting on this second track on my list here…drifting into early Zero 7 like terrain on this Trip-Hop/Soul-Pop combo she’s got goin’ on.  Now…don’t get it twisted, don’t get it confused – I’m 100% in full support of what I hear in this idea, and I’m confident in 99% of how this has already come out.  At the end of the day, I think there’s like, maybe one questionable tone that flexes itself just a little outside of the inherent sweetness to be found at the core of this melody…hardly anything so dramatic that it would even come anywhere close to stopping me from listening to “Smoke Room.”  For the vast majority of what you’ll hear, NFG TAH sparkles & shines in a dazzling performance, and proves that even her most random vocalizations outside of her verses & choruses where she’s simply singing along without using actual words, are absolutely pure spellbinding magic to listen to.  There is so much personality & character in her vocals, that I literally cannot say enough about it…give her music one single spin & she’ll get your attention – give her two and you’ll be as addicted to her tunes as I’ve been.  It’s fair to say that “Smoke Room” will reveal a few moments where NGH TAH still has the potential to evolve even further, but for the most part, she simply confirms she’s got everything it takes already.  Stellar beat in this cut that’s super crisp, the rest of the vibe echoes that hazy lounge vibe she’s lookin’ to create with “Smoke Room” – and in the main hooks of the chorus, NFG TAH takes her alluring voice for a victory lap in the strengths of this song…she’s got vocals that don’t just demand attention, they earn it.  She’s as dazzling as she is daring as an artist…it’s a killer combination that’s gonna pay off.

Even though as far as I know, I’ve got this record in advance, things actually sound really tight so far in the mix.  The closest thing I could identify as to being any kind of real issue was that “Made It” still needs a bit more polish & shine to be able to compete with the gloss in the production of the rest, but the song itself is once again another huge highlight in the set, with one of the EP’s most memorable hooks in the chorus.  NFG TAH not only sings like she’s a superstar in the making, but she’s got brilliant lines that prove she’s more than capable of saying exactly what she wants to say, exactly how she wants to say it, and to do it all with the confidence & conviction her words deserve.  She’s got attitude, she’s got a point of view and a clever perspective, and she clearly knows how to write a hook that makes an impact & a great song overall…we’re only three songs in and every one of’em has revealed something significantly special.  The more I listened to this record, the more I felt the attachment to “Made It” and the more I felt like with just a bit more vibrant shine to it, she’s probably looking at the most universally accessible cut on her whole EP right here.  This is the kind of cut that’s got the strength to pull in fans from R&B, Pop, Soul, Indie, Hip-Hop…I mean, there’s pretty much something for everything in this track, you dig?  The point is that it’s capable of being a massive gateway into her music, and if I was NFG TAH on the other side of the screen & studio boards, I’d be making sure to do everything I can to get this one cut to the same sparkle & shine we hear in the rest of these tracks on the Masha Ta EP – she’s got something seriously special here, and I can guarantee that for most, it’s right there in the incredible melody she locks onto in the main hooks of the chorus.  That’s the sound of a genuine connection to the music & the moment right there is what that is…NFG TAH is feeling “Made It” and as a result, we feel the emotional weight it carries equally.  Nothing in the performance needs to change one bit here…the music is solid as well; it’s just a small matter of sliding a few bars here & there to get that brightness into the mix she needs on this track to give it that full-on single-worthy potential it has.  I’m massively impressed by her songwriting when it comes right down to it, the ideas & the performances are there…”Made It” speaks just as strongly in that regard without exception…NFG TAH makes every moment of this EP worthwhile.

You have GOT to admire the justified confidence at work here…NFG TAH has got that X-factor, and I can only assume she’s aware of this musical superpower, because she seems to really know how to use it to her advantage time & time again.  Listen to “Wit Tha Devil” and it’ll become clearer than ever, promise ya that.  While it’s fair to say this is a somewhat deeper cut that might not have as much obvious hook & appeal to it, or even the most accessible hooks really – the reality is, NFG TAH carries damn near every second of this song straight up on her shoulders and she crushes it!  On a technical level alone, you’ll be able to hear just how little she’s really got backing her up when it comes to the music of “Wit Tha Devil” – there IS music, but it’s as minimalistic as it gets, essentially leaving NFG TAH on her own to make this track worth your while for four minutes-plus.  That’s not an easy task fam – not even for a veteran of the game years into their career – but this lady here?  NFG TAH should be extremely proud of what she’s accomplished on “Wit Tha Devil” and how much it reveals about her abilities as a performer all-around; really, you’re listening to art at work when it comes to this particular cut.  Don’t get me wrong, there are hooks still in this track for sure when it comes to the melody – but the real hook overall is NFG TAH when it comes right down to it, that’s what has you listening to every moment of “Wit Tha Devil” while right on the edge of your seat the whole time.  It’s like a master-class of subtle intensity, and I love it.  The backing layer of vocals echoing her words along the distance through this track, is straight-up brilliant…other than that, you’ve got a bit of atmospheric sound in the mix & a perfectly controlled bass-beat that rides with NGH TAH as she rocks “Wit Tha Devil” – she’s as mesmerizing as she is hypnotic, and she proves more with this cut beyond all others, that she’s capable of art just as much as entertainment.

Even after everything I’ve heard already, and all the great things I’ve had to say about NFG TAH, it was actually “Chasin’ Clout” that sold me on her music & future more than any other.  As far as I understand it from the scattered notes I’ve got here on my desk, she produced both “Wit Tha Devil” and this final cut I’ve got here called “Chasin’ Clout” – and both speak to the fact that she’s got an insightful perspective for the way she approaches her sound & style.  Clearly, NFG TAH has an excellent understanding of what really works for her when it comes to the music she sings on, and “Chasin’ Clout” might very well be the highlight example of how her whole career is shaping up for the future to come.  Because this song right here?  This is LOADED with hooks from the lefts to the rights, and the kind of tangible uniqueness that every set of ears out there can hear.  I like to puff on a blunt every bit as much as the main star of the show here, but I’ve never blown smoke when it comes to my writing & what I’ve got to say about the music I’m listening to – believe me when I tell ya, the potential in NFG TAH is genuinely staggering, and absolutely limitless.  She could do Jazz, Reggae, Pop, Soul…she’s proven she can rap when she wanted to on this record as well…I mean, it’s simply all there, and all of the time.  Her versatility is an incredible asset…and the pure style in the way she sings makes her both an authentic force to be reckoned with, and a genuine original.  “Chasin’ Clout” is built for the right here & now – fully relevant with what’s happening in the music-scene, but also just that half-step ahead of the rest as well…the kind of cut that points towards the future of what’s to come, not just for NFG TAH, but for us all.  She’s a born leader and a natural entertainer…you watch, you listen – she’ll lead the way, and others will start to follow – I think she sounds fantastic on this entire record, and over these next several years to come, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find that NFG TAH has become a permanent household name.

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