Jason ‘Nosaj’ Furlow first gained notoriety as half of psychedelic hiphop duo New Kingdom, who released two albums – Heavy Load (1993) and Paradise Don’t Come Cheap (1996) – via the Gee Street label. Furlow, his bandmate Sebastian ‘Sebash’ Laws and producer Scott ‘Scotty Hard’ Harding concocted a thick-set, sludgy strain of rap music owing as much to Jimi Hendrix, 1970s Miles Davis and Butthole Surfers as De La Soul, Kool Keith and Project Blowed.

New Kingdom’s two records could be viewed as precursors to recent attempts at psych-hop crossover like Childish Gambino’s “Awaken My Love!” (2016) and Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here (2023). But the recorded legacy of Nosaj, Sebash and Scotty Hard is weirder, darker, heavier and sleazier – especially on Paradise Don’t Come Cheap, some of whose tracks follow the exploits of fugitive anti-hero Clyde through hazardous borderlands sonically evoked by a stew of musty samples, live instrumentation and the duo’s fried flows.

Furlow and Laws subsequently went on to make guest appearances – together and apart – on tracks by Bill Laswell’s Material and Axiom Dub projects, Kevin Martin’s Ice, Skiz Fernando’s Spectre, Morcheeba, Kid Acne and others. Somewhere along the way Furlow adopted the Nature Boy Jim Kelly persona before fading from view. He has made a return to active service over the past few years with a series of solo and collaborative projects, often involving the best and brightest of today’s flourishing independent rap scene. His latest release House Of Disorder is a collaboration with producer Joseph Fusaro aka Steel Tipped Dove, who matches Furlow’s quixotic bars with a set of inventive and unorthodox instrumentals. Reviewing the album in The Wire 471, Mosi Reeves writes, “Nosaj and Steel Tipped Dove are too contrarian to settle for the path one expects.”

Here, Furlow presents an annotated playlist containing tracks spanning his illustrious career.

New Kingdom
“Frontman”
From Heavy Load
(Gee Street, 1993)

“Frontman” in essence was a combative announcement aimed at the identity invaders informing who it may concern that any action to enlist us was futile.

New Kingdom
“Cheap Thrills”
From Heavy Load
(Gee Street, 1993)

Fortunately unfortunately my werewolf in London debauchery behaviour awarded me a killer stomach virus. Quarantined in my bedroom isolated from my boys and banned from the studio. Homesick and lonely, “Cheap Thrills” is a love letter filled with gratitude, respect and fever dream recollection.

New Kingdom
“Unicorns Were Horses”
From Paradise Don’t Come Cheap
(Gee Street, 1996)

“Unicorn Were Horses” is part revival tent hymn, part advertisement for flow zone in search of effortlessness, but mainly a kick-out-the-jams-motherfucker-let’s-take-it-to-the-stage barn burner cooked up by Scotty Hard and made even larger than life by Scotty extending an invitation to [organist] John Medeski to rock out over it.

New Kingdom
“Paradise Don’t Come Cheap”
From Paradise Don't Come Cheap
(Gee Street, 1996)

“Paradise Don’t Come Cheap” is an extension of the murder-of-the-ego ballad “Mexico Or Bust”. After breaking free from his self-imposed prison and worn out from a long night of escaping apprehension, we open with our protagonist Clyde holed up in a rented room just two hours from the border in San Felipe. I can recall appropriating some of Clyde’s unsavoury characteristics in an attempt to inform my posture/tone/vocabulary, etc. This was an exhaustive move whose collateral damage I’m still managing.

Material
“My Style Is I Ain’t Got No Style”
From Intonarumori
(Axiom, 1999)

When I hear this now it feels a bit schizophrenic because I was listening to Miles Davis At Fillmore and reading Doctor Who books purchased in the UK as well as Donald Goines street gospels… also I can remember I was workshopping new ideas with live bands at these underground jam session parties in Brooklyn. It’s partly an audio reminder to self – do what you do, say what you gonna say.

Jason Furlow (Nosaj of New Kingdom)
“Last Man Standing”
From Last Man Standing/Modern Man
(Dub Ditch Picnic, 2017)

The theme song for a limited series about an ageing psychedelic rapper currently navigating mortality, divorce, adult children, a younger girlfriend with a baby on the way and addiction.

Nosaj (of New Kingdom)
“Run-DMC/Bad Brains (Afro-Punk Weekend)”
From NewKingdom/OriginalConcept/Run-DMC/Bad Brains (Afro-Punk Weekend
(Dub Ditch Picnic, 2018)

THIS IS THAT BLACK MAN I GOT A RIOT GOING ON INSIDE CUZ MY MERE PRESENCE FEELS LIKE A JAILABLE OFFENCE RIDE.

THE SUSTAINED INTENSITY IT TOOK TO RECORD THIS WAS NO JOKE.

Armand Hammer
“Leopards”
From Shrines
(Backwoodz Studios, 2020)

“Leopards” felt like a ferocious behaviour-born-of-disappointment party I was all too familiar with. Please don’t trigger the RAMPAGE button.

Small Bills featuring Nosaj
“Hush Harbor”
From Don't Play It Straight
(Mello Music Group, 2020)

[Rapper/producer] Elucid’s vibe is wild different. His intentional decision making from a rhythm and lyrical standpoint while still sounding experimental as fuck is brilliant. The man is unapologetic about claiming his space. Its always a pleasure and an honour to get busy on anything he’s involved with.

Nosaj of New Kingdom & V8 TFD
“The Carpenters”
From Acid Is Groovy Kill The Pigz
(Bandcamp, 2021)

For over a decade our family ran a moderately successful well loved marijuana infused baking goods brand out of Williamsburg Brooklyn. For the most part our clientele was a joyful eclectic group of stoners. But we did have our share of celebrated poseurs and God bless them they were harmless. So many great parties, so many rides home, longing to return the stage and making music. Daily I questioned where and how my fashion of art would land in what felt like the upside down. But ultimately what centres me are what I know to be truths. For example Suzi Quatro and Chuck Berry both play guitar. Another example being my affection for wild women.

Next with order restored thanks to certainty I surrender to the vibe and I get to painting that DONNA SUMMER LEFT THE CAKE IN…

Finally we end it with a passing idea of taste being fuelled by self perception I’M A WALKING PIECE OF ART I AM A WALKING PIECE OF SHIT (SOME SAY THATS THE SAME DAMN THING).

The Bug
“What’s That Sound?”
From Absent Riddim
(Pressure, 2022)

This is one of those ‘Somethin’ got a hold of me and I fear there’s no way out’ distress signal type of affairs.

Nosaj from New Kingdom & Steel Tipped Dove
“Beatles”
From House Of Disorder
(Fused Arrow, 2023)

After a glorious night of partying these words were written on a yellow napkin:

Nosaj from New Kingdom & Steel Tipped Dove
“I’m The Magic Band And The Captain”
From House Of Disorder
(Fused Arrow, 2023)

This that connect-the-dots bum rush of pop culture references so the listener can get a peek into my personal taste type shit. Easter egg hunt city.

BONUS TRACKS: with commentary by Sebastian 'Sebash' Laws (New Kingdom)

New Kingdom
“Journey To The Sun”
From Paradise Don’t Come Cheap
(Gee Street, 1996)

A love song about the hardships of true love that has historically been societally, religiously or culturally forbidden or frowned upon, and what it takes or took to overcome those hardships.

New Kingdom
“Spittin’ In The Eye Of The World”
From Rocket 500 Cassette
(Gee Street, 1996)

Our reaction to society trying to corral folk like us into boxes, which we don’t necessarily fit nor are comfortable being in. We retaliate by flipping off, kicking, elbowing and spitting (in the eye of the world).

Read Mosi Reeves's review of House Of Disorder in The Wire 471. Subscribers can read the review in full via the online library.