I discovered this dude on reddit.com/r/hiphopheads, under an unfortunate title: “A year ago yesterday, my 20 year old best friend died a natural death.”
He had been working on a project titled “Distant Implosions” and I thought I would check it out, having no expectations from it. I was pleasantly surprised, this Nickolas Thee Ruin has definite talent. He had a distinctive style as well, a unique voice, confused with the complexities of the life around him. His lyrics are introspective, dark and reflective. “I don’t rap no more, I evoke tones,” he spits on “Ladron,” track two of this sonically diverse project. The beat on the first track sounds like a Flying Lotus one, though it shifts to a slightly more abrasive and at times trap-influenced tone. Without knowing him personally, I do think he was influenced heavily by artists such as Cage, Busdriver, even Aesop Rock to a certain extent.
It’s a good project and one which deserves a bit of recognition. At least Nickolas has left earth with something of value for the whole world to see, and I’m sure that his close ones are proud of him.