TIME:LINE: Album Review

Prepare yourself for a musical journey; a journey that will take you through hip hop, funk, soul, r&b, and pop; a journey that will take you through the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and into the future; and a journey that will introduce you to Nicolay & Kay. Familiarize yourselves with these two names now, because if this album receives the recognition it deserves, they will soon become a household name.

Nicolay, the Dutch producer who teamed up with Phonte of Little Brother back in 2004 for their critically acclaimed Foreign Exchange project, brings us a new adventure along with Houston emcee Kay of the Foundation. The result is TIME:LINE, which is built on a theme of Kay’s life; taking us through pre-birth to birth, to life, to death, and finally the afterlife. Nicolay does an exceptional job providing the soundtrack to Kay’s life. An accomplished musician, Nicolay plays most of the instruments on the album and segues each track into one another as if they were telling a story.

Nicolay’s style is one that makes him stand out today in a world where hip hop is starving for musicianship. For instance, the opening intro is something that hip-hoppers may not expect initially. Built on a theme around the Isley Brothers’ “Shout”, the intro opens the album to all musical possibilities. The next song, “Blizzard”, is a funk track introducing Kay into the world. Nicolay does funk just as well as if it was 1977; like if Rick James were behind the boards and Earth Wind & Fire was playing backup. Segueing into “The Lights”, we are reintroduced to Nicolay’s signature sound. This track is very reminiscent of Nicolay’s Foreign Exchange material. I almost expected a guest spot from Phonte, but Kay does an excellent job of picking up the vibe and going with the flow.

Probably my favorite track on the album, “Through The Wind”, has that r&b pop appeal to it. Dig if you will a picture of Prince in 1986, singing backup and playing the instruments on this song. Nicolay captures that essence and brings it to us here in 2008. This song is definite single material and could easily cross the duo over into Top 40.

As the first half of the album comes to a close, the second half opens with the album’s first single “Tight Eyes”. This track brings us up-to-date to where we are today. As the first half of TIME:LINE was a look into the past, we are now presented with a glimpse of the future as each track from here to the end of the album gets more progressive and experimental. “As The Wheel Turns” continues on this vibe and could also be an excellent single choice. When we get to “The Gunshot”, we are reminded that Nicolay can dabble with all styles of music. This track takes elements of reggae and dancehall without distracting from the overall flow of the album. Closing out the album is “Dancing With The Stars”, which is probably the most experimental track on the whole album. The song does an excellent job of closing out Kay’s TIME:LINE theme as the samba beat is sort of a celebration of life.

Overall, this album was very well thought out and put together. As said before, we are presented with all forms of musical styles which showcase Nicolay’s diversity and willingness to delve outside the generic hip hop sound. TIME:LINE has something for everyone and I hope it gets the shine it deserves.

Although he is primarily known in the hip hop industry, Nicolay could easily produce tracks for all kinds of artists, sort of how Timbaland has done recently by working with acts like Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. I’m not saying that he should go that route, but with his musical expertise the possibilities are endless.

Notable Tracks: “Through The Wind”, “As The Wheel Turns”, “The Lights”, “Tight Eyes”