Albums

iiND Nature – RAMENdon (noodlEP)

blame it on JES7 November 29, 2015
iiND-Nature-RAMENdon

I’m a little late on this one, but I’m glad the homie Matt Diamomd slid this my way – mostly because I can 1000% relate.

San Francisco, admiringly known to rapper iiND Nature as the Pray Area, produces a very unique breed of artist, with unconventional, far-out POV takes on life in their bubble. Cats from the Bay Area give zero f*cks about what you think of them. They’re innovators who aren’t afraid to take a gamble on which part of the fork in the road they end up taking.

Case in point is iiND Nature’s noodlEP dubbed RAMENdon – which, you guessed it, is a tribute to Japanese ramen, packed full of tasty essence in all its glory (and MSG) which punches every imaginable flavor palette in your mouth (pause). Now, being that I’m Japanese/Okinawan, I know first hand how important a great bowl of ramen is, especially the thick bowls with bone broth and perfectly sized and crafted noodles. Seriously, there’s a science behind it, with practitioners training in the art for years.

Ramen has been a staple food in my life, and I’ve even gone on to live on it througout my military career. Days spent in the brick cold mountains of Afghanistan or aboard our ship; it was comfort food – whether Cup-O-Noodles or Top Ramen. Top it off with some Sriracha, some pieces of chicken (or vienna sausage) and a boiled egg was a full fledged meal.

I digress. iiND Nature, as previously mentioned, pays homage to the mad flavors of ramen on the new EP, “Packed to the brim with a ton of wobbles and Dilla-esque grooves.” Stream it in its entirety below.