NAY NAY & BRYAN MAHON

Virginia Beach rapper-singer duo Nay Nay and Bryan Mahon recently released their first EP Undefined just in time for listeners to enjoy the last few weeks of summer. With a style vaguely reminiscent of Shwayze, this duo is capturing the essence of the beach through their melodies, while captivating listeners through their upbeat lyrics.

As someone who has been following Nay Nay and Bryan Mahon in their individual pursuits, it’s safe to say that they have truly found their niche together. This symbiotic relationship between Bryan’s seamless vocals and Nay Nay’s unique rap delivery is redefining indie acoustic rap.

Diving right in, Undefined opens with one of the duo’s more well known songs— “Living in the Image” before slipping into a newer track, “Life Without You”. This song features an intriguing melody composed of acoustic guitar and violin (added by Eric Stanley) creating a new layer dimension to the song. Nay Nay is in the pocket (so to speak) with the pace on his delivery in this track showcasing how much he has improved since his 2013 release Long Road Home.

"Brand New Day" is a relaxing gem on this EP with a positive message about embracing new days and shrugging off the little stresses in life. The catchy guitar riff compliments the descriptive verses to help paint the perfect image of a solid day on the beach. In the latter half of the song, the percussion eases onto the track enhancing the already strong instrumentals. I recommend listening to this song while cruising around on a warm day with the windows rolled down.

"Never Let You Go" is the following track and also a love song with heaps of sweet lyrical content. The EP then closes on a "Flightless", which is easily one of my favorite tracks off of the album. The verses contain a sort of biographical narrative of Nay Nay and Bryan's struggle to find their way in their musical paths and the criticism they face in doing so. A particular highlight of this song is the sharp contrast between Bryan's vocals and Nay Nay's harder interruptions in the chorus. Perhaps another reason I really enjoy this song is because of the irony it possesses. The lyrical content touches on the criticism they face, but this is some of their best music to date. In fact, I was shocked the first time I started listening to this EP because of how much each of them have improved and how well the two complimented each other.

Bryan and Nay Nay are indeed the pilots now and if they continue on this path together they will never be flightless again. This is a duo to watch.

For more from Nay Nay and Bryan Mahon click here.