Concrete Jungle

"I've been listening to Nneka's new album Concrete Jungle for almost a week straight now, so I feel more than confident writing that we've never seen or heard anyone quite like her before, and will never probably never hear anything like her again. But will that stop me from making comparisons? No, no it will not. Like when presented with anything new, we need a comparison to establish a foundation, a starting point, if we're to travel further, so here we go: Nneka sounds like Lauryn Hill without the heartbreak, like Dead Prez without the revolutionary violence and Erykah Badu without the funk. She sounds like a more global Fela Kuti, like a harder Alicia Keys or a more hopeful Mos Def, if Mos could actually sing. There, now are you getting a feeling for the woman's music. No? Well then, it looks like we'll just have to get into the specifics. Born in Nigeria and now splitting her time between her native Africa and a home in Hamburg, Germany, Nneka's music carries the weight of two worlds, worlds that are sometimes harmonious but often in conflict. Remarkably she's managed to translate that diverse array of experience into her music, garnering critical acclaim for her first two albums, which were primarily European releases. Nneka is now finally making her way to the U.S. with Concrete Jungle, an at times stunningly soulful work that will feel like a debut album to almost all of us, an effect that will only enhance the feeling that we've stumbled across something great here. If you can't tell from the opening paragraphs, I really, really fucking like this album." - Nathan S. / DJBooth.net