FNCY - FNCY by FNCY
About two years in the making, FNCY by FNCY is the second full album from hip hop supergroup FNCY, who consist of rappers Zen-La-Rock, Chinza Dopeness, and G.Rina. Each of them are established solo artists in their own right, they often feature on others tracks and have their own albums, but having crossed paths many times, they sometimes get together as FNCY to record and perform due to popular demand.
Since the members are all of the same generational age, the sound of FNCY is heavily influenced by 90’s hip-hop, G-funk and R&B. While being unashamedly old school, they’re not aiming for a revival of the classics, they still try to stay fresh and incorporate new trends. Though G.Rina produces the majority of the tracks, this time they get help from friends like Grooveman Spot and Jengi from the Netherlands, and it adds another dimension to the sound. There’s less skits, the beats are sharper and you’ll find it even easier to get up out your seat and dance. “Him I gotta love” is glorious G-funk with cowbells and chunky synth bass, “みんなの夏” delivers new jack swing vibes with old school guitar licks courtesy of Kashif, and “Rep me” is a new brand of “hip house” combining New York house music and rapping. I only have a few years of house dancing experience, but I can tell you this is a great song to dance to. And if there’s any doubt where their hearts lie, on “あなたになりたい” they mention D.I.T.C, Missy Elliott, and N.E.R.D over scratching, beat boxing, and that classic KRS-One “I represent the real hip-hop” sample. It’s all really fun and you’ll definitely be able to find a track or three that you can party to.
However it’s not just a party album - they’re too mature and wise for that. Though not explicitly a pandemic album, the songs can be interpreted in such a way that fits the times. People sometimes think of the “new normal” as something that’s weird or something inferior to the past, but on “FU-TSU-U (NEW NORMAL)” they interpret it as the normal flipping to new, which is exciting, thrilling and terrifying all at once. The next stage (after the pandemic) is something they look forward to, something to try out and enjoy. Similarly on “NEW DAYS” they talk about the time passing and missing the past but also forgetting the struggles and moving on one day to the next. And on “FOOD GUIDANCE” they express their gratitude for being able to eat at restaurants and enjoy food every day, which we have only realized once such a simple thing is taken away from us by lockdowns or other restrictions. As the members are all around 40 years old, their music feels really honest and down to earth compared to most pop or rap. There’s no stunting on this, no YOLO silliness or worrying about fickle relationships, FNCY are more in tune with their five senses and interacting with the real world. Since I’m of the same generation, I really appreciate it, but it makes me wonder if younger people get it or not.
On FNCY by FNCY it seems they’ve really hit their stride. It’s not that they have a formula, but they just know what their sound is (or what they want it to be) and what resonates with their listeners. Most of all FNCY is a space for the three of them to hang out together and have fun, there’s no infighting or ego battles for more of the spotlight. Each member brings different styles and strengths to the table, be it Chinza Dopeness’ versatility and wisdom, Zen-La-Rock’s energy and humour, or G.Rina’s sweetness and spice, and it balances so well that FNCY truly is more than the sum of its parts. Fun, fresh, fancy and funky, it’s FNCY by FNCY.