If you’re a hip-hop head based in the local New Orleans area and you aren’t in tune with the immaculate vibes of _TheSmoothCat and Juu, you clearly haven’t been keeping your ear to the underground. After both these two New Orleans-based artists spent the last two years releasing multiple solo efforts independently, such as Smooth’s newest album from this year ‘Foundation’ and Juu’s 2021 album ‘@NIGHT’– eventually joining forces for a joint single entitled ‘Sunday’ under a separate musical moniker entitled ‘YellowHouse’ – _TheSmoothCat and Juu proudly present to us their collaborative effort ‘NOFACESMOOV’: an unbelievably smooth self-titled 13-track album which combines the two artists’ best traits as emcees and producers. For production, the two also enlist the help of frequent collaborators Custodian, Grimey P, attaboijim, and Steef.

‘NOFACESMOOV’ is both the title of their new project as well as their new name as a rap duo, and encapsulates the way Juu and Smooth present themselves as artists; humbly and respectfully dedicated to the art of rap, these two let their buttery smooth flows and abstract, introspective lyrics speak for themselves, rather than screaming their own names from the rooftops as many other rappers do in today’s age of oversaturation and posturing. This project is the culmination of a plan years in the making for Juu and Smooth. Juu describes their journey together as friends and collaborators, telling us, “Me and Josh [Smooth] been doing this together this whole time really. It’s just a full circle moment type of thing; in so many words, NOFACESMOOV is what we been wanting to accomplish this whole time.”

The album is an example of pure artistry and musicality; both emcees focus heavily on creating flows that melt like liquid gold directly into understated yet simultaneously captivating, slow-paced yet undeniably bouncy, keyboard-centric lo-fi production, fusing each piece of their unique styles together to create something both relaxing and entrancing. As influences for the project, the emcees cite the eclectic and groovy styles of Pink Siifu, A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, BlackStar, and even R&B sounds from the 70s through the early 2000s. The resulting lo-fi sound is similar to the hybrid strains many of us love, with the most hypnotizing aspects of an indica present in the lazily beautiful instrumentals, but also with moments of emphatic excitement inspired by the masterful bars of each verse as Smooth and Juu speak their respective truths with conviction.

Over beautiful vocal harmonies, Juu breathes life into the first track ‘OH’ with a masterfully simple and powerful declaration: “Still here for a reason... tell the Infinite we on.” Juu is thoroughly convinced he has a real purpose on this Earth, and after hearing his declarations of self-worth, there’s not a soul who could argue with him. And on ‘KATHYNTHEM’, Smooth takes aim at all those who dare to doubt his own worth, demanding, “...So pay me my rate– welterweight but I’m gon’ pull me my weight.” After releasing five solo albums, three collaborative EPs and now this full collaborative project under a brand new moniker (all independently!), who could possibly deny that Smooth will always pull his weight and more? Both halves of the duo seem entirely comfortable in their own skin, and take pride in who they’ve worked to become as both people and artists. All of this has seemingly instilled in them an inspiring faith in the universe. ‘NOFACESMOOV’ conveys the theme that there is a certain beauty in trusting fate; if you sit back, trust yourself, be true to who you are, and do what you love day-to-day, the current of life will pull you downstream in the right direction (as long as you don’t forget to put the work in). As Smooth says on ‘MY KIND’, “That’s why I live the life that I adore; I tried to tell ‘em Juu, it ain’t no use in telling you; you see for yourself.” Juu clearly agrees, stating on the closing track ‘93 OCTANE’, “On the way to it, don’t know where I’ma stay; either way I’ma do it, I’ma make it to base.” However, just because they trust in fate, don’t get it twisted and start thinking they won’t work hard, or come and take what they know they deserve. I mean, there’s a full track on the project called ‘GIMME DAT’. They want it bad. And if the ‘it’ we’re talking about is flowers, you better start handing them over to NOFACESMOOV.