Although Chino Amobi’s still taking his first shaky steps in terms of lengthier, more ambitious projects, he’s already far ahead of the pack with an appealingly unique sound and stance.
As Diamond Black Hearted Boy, Amobi stirs a cerebral mix in his 14-song EP that’s available online for free download. That blaring horn sample that’s become a staple in every new rap mix is recontextualized in the most sinister ways amid thumping house beats, church organ polyphony, and caustic drones. This combination of b-boy swagger, Black Panther militarism, industrial fear, and noisy Dadaism proves wildly inventive. Chino Amobi is also of interest as a player in Richmond, VA’s emerging scene, which includes artists like Narwhalz (Of Sound), Bermuda Triangles and Hot Lava, who are all making Richmond a real town to watch. Again, I wouldn’t argue that this EP is not a finely tuned, masterful work. But as raw, basement-recorded scrawl, it shows a lot of promise for the future.
Nat Roe
File under: Richmond, Chino Amobi, Narwhalz (Of Sound)