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By Tahisha Charles for Boston Compass (#126)
August 9, 2020
In the local music scene, there aren’t too many record labels with a plan.
However, when you look at the mainstream landscape, labels like Quality Control, OVO Sound, and the legendary Roc-A-Fella have always stressed the importance of being bound by loyalty.
But, NNCHVLNT is different. Not only are they bound by loyalty, but they are bound by blood. With Sylus Gambino and Trippy at the helm, the two wousins (yes, wousins) recruited their own wousins, 26 Rari and Eway Nef, who are also brothers, as well as their best friend, Vanni Allan Poe, to kick off the indie label roster.
“We felt like the city [didn’t] have a household label,” said Trippy. “We don’t have a solid team putting on for Boston just yet, although, there are some heavy hitters working. So, essentially, we built this label with the goal to bring awareness to who and what the Boston hip-hop scene really is.”
Not limited to music, the label also has its own clothing line, NNCHVLNT Clothing. A lifestyle brand, NNCHVLNT Clothing is described as “promoting a lifestyle of empowerment.” Using a koala as their logo, the emphasis on the lips and nose was not only a response to the racist use of blackface but to make a point that to be “NNCHVLNT” is to be “unbothered by society’s views on all minorities.”
Since starting NNCHVLNT Records in 2019, the label has recently been picking up pace, releasing four projects under the imprint and six singles. When asked about the future plans for the label, Gambino stated, “more or less [we want] to be a force in Boston and make a mark in the industry. Not just on the local scene, but internationally.”
As far as what’s next musically, NNCHVLNT’s Sylus Gambino has a record coming with Atlanta artist, T.K. Kravitz, titled “Down For Me” featuring Vanni Allan Poe and 26 Rari, with production handled by the city’s own Humbeats. “Down For Me” serves as a follow-up to Gambino’s March single, “Kill Or Be Killed.”
—Tahisha Charles, www.miixtapechiick.com