Hailing from South Carolina, but earning his stripes in Atlanta, Nick Grant would be what many would expect out of a “star”. You know: the lyrical ability to take on anyone with the looks to pull most women. Quickly signed by Jason Geter’s imprint, Nick has been hard at work making a name for himself. So far, he has been doing a great job with cuts like “Royalty.” Still, there has to be much consideration for Nick Grant as he drops ’88 for the masses.

After giving this mixtape numerous listens, it must be said that Nick Grant has what it takes to become a star (be it underground or commercially viable).

What needs to be understood off the top about Nick Grant is that he is a rapper’s rapper. Sampling the infamous Andre 3000 speech from the 1995 Source Awards and lifting the “2 Dope Boyz” instrumental, “Somethin To Say” lets Nick work his lyrical skills off the top. Each song rarely lets up as “I Want The World” bangs out his aspirations and “Just In Case” hitting with the smooth grooves. By the time “Black Sinatra” and the bass heavy Young Dro featured “Class Act” stroll through, most listeners should be convinced that Nick has the chops to be a great emcee. It will hard to determine Nick Grant as an average rapper when his music is so diverse and well versed.

Yet, his skill becomes even more apparent after the fifth track. The BJ the Chicago Kid featured “Trouble/Where Is The Love” takes the listener on a ride through his mind thematically. While “Window Seat” samples the Erykah Badu instrumental allowing Nick to let loose, “The Jungle” gets into the hood struggle. Meanwhile, “Gold Chains” get into the harsh realities of materialism. By the time “The Fire” ends with all of his shout outs, Nick Grant proves that he can make a great composition.

Nick Grant shows that he just may have next in the rap game. The bigger question is whether or not he will grind it out and develop his own following or go the “major label” path. Either way, he has to stick to what makes him great: impressive lyricism over equally impressive production. Otherwise, it will all be for naught. In short, it would be a waste for Nick Grant to squander his possibilities with no proper follow through from one of the best mixtapes of 2016.

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