Ways Of Knowing vinyl

American rapper, producer, skateboarder and model Navy Blue (Sage Elsesser) drops his third album Ways Of Knowing, channelling a crisp, soul-and-gospel-intoned sound that leans heavily on the wisdom of his ancestors and relatives. Recalling a filial crossbreed of D'Angelo and J Cole, the LP is a sophisticated, spiritual modern hip-hop project, whereupon we hear Elsesser pay homage to his grandmother, his Yoruba ancestry and his chosen loved ones in the present day, bringing them all together under an equal but critical aegis. Though it isn't also unaware of the darker, structural forces that have polluted his knowledge of the many Ways Of Knowing he's now enlightened to - indeed, 'Freehold' is a gloomy one - it's an overall beautiful record, reflecting Navy Blue's deep awareness of what conspired to make him spectacular.