Music Review: Tobe Nwigwe’s ‘moMINTS’ a Rap Triumph

Tobe Nwigwe’s moMINTs is proof positive of just how luminous rap can be. As a fan of rap and hip-hop, I’ve long wanted to write a piece defending the provocative, pneumatic intelligence of the form. Too often critics on the right, who are leery of rap’s attendant culture and content, dismiss the whole genre altogether. However, finding a piece to refute accusations that rap is little more than metered apologism for criminality and sexual infidelity proved momentarily challenging.

Take, for example, the late Pop Smoke’s sophomore album Meet the Woo 2. The album, released just ten days before his death as the victim of a burglary-turned-murder, is arguably one of the most innovative and splendid examples of rap — American braggadocio mixed with aggressive bass-heavy U.K. drill. At the time, Pop was an antidote to the hippity-hoppity mumblism the genre had embraced, and his unconventional sound was desperately needed. However, his lyrics aren’t exactly edifying.

About the Author

Luther Ray Abel

Luther Ray Abel is an Associate Editor for National Review. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Luther is a proud native of Sheboygan, Wis.

Tobe Nwigwe’s moMINTs is proof positive of just how luminous rap can be. As a fan of rap and hip-hop, I’ve long wanted to write a piece defending the provocative, pneumatic intelligence of the form. Too often critics on the right, who are leery of rap’s attendant culture and content, dismiss the whole genre altogether. However, finding a piece to refute accusations that rap is little more than metered apologism for criminality and sexual infidelity proved momentarily challenging.

Take, for example, the late Pop Smoke’s sophomore album Meet the Woo 2. The album, released just ten days before his death as the victim of a burglary-turned-murder, is arguably one of the most innovative and splendid examples of rap — American braggadocio mixed with aggressive bass-heavy U.K. drill. At the time, Pop was an antidote to the hippity-hoppity mumblism the genre had embraced, and his unconventional sound was desperately needed. However, his lyrics aren’t exactly edifying.