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For years the female emcee has been pigeonholed into one role: the sexy slut. Unlike their male counterparts, women who rap are rarely successful without appearing nude in their videos, regardless of the merits of their music. But despite corporate conventions, Nemiss intends to bring some integrity back to the rap game with her new record, Bottom Line EP.
Lyrically Nemiss is impressive, and brings a lot of heat to each track. One highlight, “Fresh Freestyle,” sounds like it was pre-written, but regardless is an excellent example of her talent and power on the mic. Throughout Bottom Line, Nemiss proves herself to be a worthy emcee blessed with a powerful yet feminine voice. Nemiss also shows a penchant for storytelling with “Move The Floor”, a fast-paced tribute to her favorite DJ, while the beautifully produced “The Way I Feel” is a heartfelt love song bursting with soul.
Although Nemiss demonstrates great success with in-house producers, the chemistry found with Nicolay is apparent as her raps fit snugly onto the instrumental of “Nic’s Groove”. Most tracks have decent production, but one can only wonder what an album filled with big-name producers would do for her career. The album is closed with “American Woman”, a superb acoustic jam laced with a sincere conscious rap in which Nemiss analyzes the struggles of an old Native American woman.
The Bottom Line EP, is a solid effort showcasing Nemiss’ potential to be a great emcee. Though more of a collection of miscellaneous tracks than an album, the EP has many strong points, and her hunger shines through on nearly every track. By forming her sound around substance, not flash, Nemiss seems destined to have a strong career based on talent with many enjoyable albums in her future.
– Miles Duncan
- http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/
Bottom Line EP
Artist: Nemiss
Title: Bottom Line EP
Rating:3 1/2 Stars
Reviewed by: Jessica Dufresne
Eddie Murphy opens this EP complaining that “the girls are always coming up short.” Okay, that’s from Harlem Nights, but it sums up Nemiss’ beef with female MCs. This Chi-town transplant has been on a steady grind toward recognition in New York’s underground scene since 2003 and the Bottom Line EP (Luv4Art) is her latest effort.
The entire project serves as a testament to Nemiss’ conviction not to sell out to the industry mandate that women must put sexuality over talent. Regarding her craft, she asserts over the swift drums and jazzy instrumentals of the superior title track that, “I won’t dumb it down/It’s a disgrace to the Hip-Hop race/So this intellect you have to embrace.”
This “redbone lady dread” is on the anti-establishment warpath hard and dares anyone to stop her, as demonstrated on the opener “The Times.” Hip to the industry machine game, she spits the double-entendre, “If I sign to a label they want at least a limb an arm and a leg/They want a jpeg with my ass and tits out glamoured and glitzed out/I’m going indie like arie still putting hits out.” The bongo and smooth horns that provide the foundation for her fiery lyrics are an unexpected match-up, but work.
“Doin’ It,” is a strong contender for best song in terms of production and in demonstrating her breezy flow. It provides a danceable bass accompanied by guitar licks for Nemiss to brag about how what she’s doing, others can only pursue. As if knowing the strength of this song, there’s also a remix–which actually has a different beat and different lyrics (like how actual remixes used to). Also of note are a live freestyle thrown in that Nemiss rips through giving you a good idea of her potential and the finale, “American Woman”. Its bareness–there’s only an acoustic guitar– lets you focus completely on her rhyme skills and ability to weave a portrait.
Though the CD is sure to invoke the feeling of having stumbled into a tiny, spoken-word lounge somewhere in downtown Brooklyn (incidentally her borough) filled with the bohemian types, this EP’s Bottom Line is that Nemiss means business. This is a woman with a goal and who intends on reaching it her way – and if that means beating you over the head with indignant feminism and intellect, so be it. - Allhiphop.com
Discography
Flame to the Photo 2003
Nemiss EP 2004
Bottom Line 12 inch single 2005
Bottomline LP 2006
Photos
Bio
Nemiss walks a defying tight rope, balancing hard hitting precise rhymes with poetic beauty and rapper’s whit. The Hip Hop community has had their eyes and ears open for the next female emcee to step to the plate without being too hussy, too hard or too soft for that matter. The Chicago born and Brooklyn based Nemiss fills that void. Nemiss grew up on the southside of Chicago and recently holds down the fort in one of the most historic black communities in the nation, Bed Stuy Brooklyn, home of many famous rappers. Already having graced the stage with reputable artists, she has toured with Black Sheep and opened for several well known acts including the Roots, Gang Starr, and Common, at numerous venues (House of Blues and the Metro). She has recently enchanted audiences at New York's Southpaw and Joe’s Pub.
Nemiss also has a theater niche that recently granted her rave reviews in the Midwest for her spoken word performance of the piece “Jagged Ledges”, the written work of Def Poetry Jam artist Stacey Ann Chin. Her involvement in theater started with her journey at the University of Chicago, where she received a Bachelor’s in political science. During her time there, Nemiss was an apprentice at Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and put on her own productions in Mandel Hall and the University Theater.
Nemiss has completed her first vinyl single “Bottom Line” through working with east coast producer Belief and Midwest DJ and producer Steve Bravo.
Nemiss is also preparing for the release of her second project, and first pressed album. In the next coming month she will be gracing stages in Boston, New York City, and the Midwest area.
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