I remember first hearing this album and going into sensory overload! The fusion of different musical genres is immense: there are elements of Hip hop, Funk, Pop, Alternative Rock, Dance and R&B all fused together, blending and separating to create this amazing Alternative Hip hop Psychedelia. The group did receive some criticism for clumsy, crass lyrics, but I think this is a misunderstanding. The lyrics mirror the music to create a fusion of odd words and unconventional imagery. This album is about finding new, original and relevant ways to express and define age old feelings of angst, isolation, identity, love, sex and freedom. In Search of... is full of layers so everyone is invited to listen (or search); whatever you find is up to you.This album was never really given the due credit it deserved for helping to open up a new kind of freedom of expression within Hip hop music. I remember Missy Elliott describing N.E.R.D as "grunged-out hip hop" and she was right. Pharrell and his band mates were skateboarding, trucker cap wearing, tattoo bearing rappers, the like of which, hadn't really been seen before. N.E.R.D made it OK to be a different kind of Rapper- a different kind of R&B singer and you can see the legacy of this with artists like Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino and even Lil Wayne.N.E.R.D will always represent a kind of punk Hip hop and In Search of... is as relevant now as it was then.
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