Noé Releases ‘Dangerous’ + Announces EP
Drawing on his deep love and reverence for jiggy US hip-hop and R&B circa Y2K, Te Whanganui-a-tara, Aotearoa producer, rapper and singer songwriter Noé announces his new EP, Ego Trip. Steeped in the minimalist, melodic sensibilities associated with late 90’s/early 2000’s legends like Nore, The Clipse, Missy Elliot, Timbaland and The Neptunes, Ego Trip is a celebration of the era of glossy, platinum hits and equally extravagant fish-eye lens music videos.
Today Noé releases his latest single, Dangerous.
After the inward-looking reflection of his last EP, Cruel Change (2024), Noé flips the script on Ego Trip, trading insularity for unbothered bravado, 24/7 party raps and slick choruses that hit like popping a champagne bottle at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Across the five-track EP, he teams up with his Moana Songhubs 2024 collaborator Vallé for a victory lap on Pop Off, gives Pharrell circa 2003 a run for his money on No Lie, and hits an undeniably charismatic Harlem World style Mase flow on Like Dat. Elsewhere, Noé finds the sweet spot between 50 Cent and New Zealand R&B icon Chong Nee’s cult solo debut, Just Getting By On Love (2006), while bonus track Catch Me If U Can, crafted by Noé and his Amsterdam-based beatmaking partner, Deibeato, nods to the unrepentant optimism of mid-1980s Prince.
Within the landscape of hip-hop and R&B in Aotearoa today, Ego Trip stands out as the work of a fully formed artist, offering a different perspective on South Pacific nightclub music. Noé knows his influences inside out, but he also knows exactly what he can bring to the table. An ego trip might be a one-of-a-kind high, but the feelings that follow can be a different type of low. You can’t have one without the other. For now, however, enjoy the ride.
