Photo by Devlin Claro

Arguably some of the most interesting listens from the rap world these last few years have been coming out of its underground, with Navy Blue, Armand Hammer, MIKE, Wiki, and AKAI SOLO piecing together collages of introspective poetry with an understated art soul beat aesthetic. The closest thing up until this point we’ve heard in the mainstream like this has been Earl Sweatshirt, but then again, we’ve also seen Earl and this crew jump on each other’s tracks anyhow. Further proof of this wave of alternative hip-hop’s success is the news that Navy Blue has joined Def Jam after self-releasing his catalog up until this point, and on “Chosen”, we get a first look at how this style might evolve with major label intentions. Not much has changed from Sage Elsesser’s creative process, with the track featuring glassy loop beatwork from frequent collaborator Budgie, though the murkier coat of past material has been wiped away from its surface to clear the way for Navy Blue to flex on his destined ascent. “Build me a Noah Ark, I’m ready for the flood whenever it comes,” Navy Blue rhymes. A sea change is coming…

Navy Blue’s “Chosen” single is available now on Def Jam.