At just 13, aspiring rapper Markel Scott was releasing his own original music and sharing it online through Odd Future and Hypebeast forums. His style was a blend of jazz rap combined with old school New York rap, which was no surprise considering Scott came from New York himself. Three years later, Scott would take the stage name Bishop Nehru; releasing his first mixtape Nehruvia.
The tape, however, was not a low production project, rather it featured some of the biggest names in hip hop history. There was production by the legendary DJ Premier, Madlib, and MF DOOM. The tape did incredibly well, and gave Nehru a platform in New York. Further, it attracted the attention of bigger rappers, such as Kendrick Lamar; who was filmed giving the 16 year old rapper advice and appraisal. Listening to the mixtape it becomes instantly clear why the young rapper managed to attract such big names.
Despite still being in high school, Nehru showed incredible versatility. In between takes of rap legends like Tupac and Kanye West talking, he spat with flows reminiscent of older New York legends like Big L and Mos Def. Without a doubt, Nehru raps as if he were from the 90’s, yet he still manages to bring a modern take to the music. He also proved that he could gain major popularity with his music, despite the sound being over a decade old. The music video for the track “Fickle Mind$” currently has over two million views on YouTube. Nehru shines on the track, with tight flows and the video itself also containing social commentary on inner-city life, which only further highlights his ability to create meaningful projects. Tracks like “Lemon Grass” broadcast exactly what the young rapper has to offer. His flow constantly remains on track, and he brings a confident energy; something most rappers would not be able to do on an MF DOOM beat quite like he does.
The legendary producer obviously saw something in the young emcee, because the following year (2014) the duo released a collaborative project titled NeruvianDoom. This tape showcased an even better Nehru, he had sharpened his skills and was able to create tracks that did not just offer fantastic bars and verses but catchy hooks, as seen on the track “Darkness (HBU)”. This year Nehru is releasing his sixth solo Project dubbed Elevators (Act I & II). “Rooftops,” a single from the project, showcases that Nehru does not deteriorate with age, but rather improves. The remarkably groovy and jazzy production by DOOM and Kaytranada provide a perfect backdrop for Nehru to spit his signature smooth flowing raps, leaving the listeners anxiously waiting until the project drops on March 16.
With 80 thousand followers and one million plays on SoundCloud, the project could be the start of mainstream appeal for the impressive young rapper.