Allow him to reintroduce himself. Formally known as Blaison Maven, Nana resurfaces with Nana’s EP. The 6-track offering encompasses a fresh dose of personal narratives. The Crenshaw-District emcee dives into the deconstruction of his personal relationships with home, love, and self.
Maneuvering through the challenges of a hustler with heart never gets any easier. The positioned wordsmith comes forth with a vigorous approach but transparent intentions. Highlighting his return with a looming soundscape provided by Chef Byer, Nana marks his territory in the Thurz-assisted “Problems.” Nothing short of a trip down memory lane, he reflects on old stomping grounds, while addressing naysayers. Don’t overstep boundaries, my g.
Aligning with self takes patience, diligence, and often leads to a sum of unrefined questions. From the outside looking in and inside looking out, Nana illustrates a look-see into the whirlwind of rumination in “Question Everything,” produced by Anthem. His vocal approach is tackled with fluidity and sincerity, and in turn, that is what drives the strength of Nana’s EP. From perspective to emotion, Nana pauses self-reflection to detail his appreciation for someone special and follows with an interlude, “Youphoria.” The inspiration of a muse can fuel an individual, or at times become a distraction when one isn’t equipped with self-awareness. Although he caters to the idea of longterm love, Nana redirects his attention to some slight work in “Mando,” produced by Anthem.
While being a man of interest and a man of your word breeds potency, this can also deter wants and desires. The duality of self, layers of struggles, and dangers of discontinuous growth all contribute to deeply-rooted patterns. Nana underlines the effects of comfort and toxic behavior in the honest tracks, “Him & Her” and “No Way Out,” produced by Anthem and Beatnick Dee.
Moving forward in any journey is key. Growth is key. However, before making a move, one must go through a season of pruning. “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” For Nana to come about, Blaison Maven had to be let go of. The Westcoast artist shares just a fraction of the heavy lifting that comes from transformation and growth. The inner-dwellings that need to be alchemized into resilience. Purpose is breeding and Nana is just getting started. Listen to Nana’s EP for yourself, below.
All Songs Written and Performed by: Nana
Executive Produced by: Warren Opong
Music Produced by: Anthem, Chef Byer, Beatnick Dee
Mixed by: Christian Plata
Engineered by: DxVxN & Henry “Hendo” Anguiano
Photo: Kayla Reefer
Artwork: Jimi Stone
Styling: Narkie Opong
