Hip Hop Habit: Spits Nelson
posted in: Features • Urban
Anyone that goes by the name Spits is bound to be a character, for better or worse. For Spits Nelson, there’s no question it’s for the better. A moniker most likely derived from his abounding obsession with rapping, Spits’ (known to his mother as Joshua and friends as J-Nel) enormous personality and love for the game are palpable just from skimming his biography. How many artists do you know that introduce themselves on paper with an original verse? A product of both Jersey poles, Spits has been at it for the past sixteen years, a few of which were even spent in Boston while attending Fisher College. With so many local flavors embedded within his style, there’s no question this east coast extraordinaire is destined to receive praise for originality if nothing else.
Of course, people don’t usually love their trades unless they’re good at them and they know it. Spits is good at rapping and he knows it, an effect apparent in the aptly titled track, I’m Great. It is here that J-Nel denounces certain typical hip hop stereotypes like frontin’, and cleverly justifies his participation in others, notable in phrases such as I guess they gonna hate when I win/ that’s why I put my brim low/ I don’t wanna see their faces again! Yet behind the wit, Mr. Nelson is slowly building the song’s bigger picture, chronicling his story from when he was a poor kid that didn’t have any sneakers and couldn’t play in the park, to a teen who knew he was smart but had self esteem issues, to a rapper who finally knows his part. Instrumentally, the track is comprised of an orchestral sample riff that eventually falls into place once the descending bass line and percussion come in. In form, the beat (only 4 measures long, and unchanging throughout) does become redundant, but with Spits’ seemingly endless content and his energetic tone, the song is far from boring.
If there was any question as to his flow’s versatility on more complex beats, You Know It’s Me answers them soundly. Though the panning of smothering synth chords during the song’s opening is a little too reminiscent of a tacky electronic track, the thick, syrupy snyth line prominent throughout, high pitched digital blips and varying percussion rhythms all mesh perfectly together”and Spits is more than happy to guide us through it all with ease. From women to weed to money then back to women, there’s no doubt this song’s message is largely a hedonistic one. Nonetheless, Spits’ overwhelming confidence continues to be contagious, making the piece a perfect candidate for any party jam playlist.
It’s not often a rapper with such a magnetic attraction to hip hop shows up and is able to come across as being genuine. He legitimately just wants to share his work with you, proven by the fact he’s published his email address asking anyone to send performance requests his way. Currently working with label upstart B.L.A.K. out of Boston, he hopes to get his music into every city, and we know he eventually will. Check out his blog and let us know how you feel about Spits in the comments!