This is the ninth studio record from Brooklyn-based New York skateboarder, MC, producer, songwriter, visual artist and model Navy Blue. Ten years ago, his debut EP, according to Waterbearer, preceded the Def Jam Recordings-backed, Budgie-produced Ways of Knowing, before releasing nine more EPs and six full-length albums to critical acclaim. However, after the conclusion of “Armor Memoirs EP” and “Sword and Soar”, he refused to slow down and brought us “Sir Render” nearly 7 months later.
“Commence” opens with a drumless intro about later capsizing and turning his life over to God, while the Alchemist-produced “Baron” embraces a booming rhythm that hits us with a more poetic abstraction. The title track once again ditches the drums to tell the story of every move having a lesson, while “Over” featuring Mike Shabb finds the pair excelling on a heavenly drum-less loop from Shabb himself, who kicks off the song with his own verse.
We hear some exposed piano explain that his “Reflections” are evidence of the God he chooses to intoxicate and talk about how he once committed suicide, while the self-produced “Residuum” with Armand Hammer joins forces to create a symphonic rush full of abstract lyricism that defines them each launching 3 killer verses. “Crux Ansata” is a silent tale of his broken wings needing healing, while “Belladonna,” a collaboration with Earl Sweatshirt, boasts their success over a melancholy, dusty Uncle Al beat.
“Aegis” continues the second half of “Sir Render”, recalling when he was five years old looking at his brother’s coffin and asking himself whether he would wither or ride on it, filling the emptiness in his father’s eyes over soft instrumental music; in “Circa” the late Ka talks about being healed and although we are still here in spirit we no longer hear from them, “If God Had Legs” suddenly describes his phone call half a year ago.
To build on the album’s final act, “Next Life” skips another drum-less loop, talking about letting trees fall and him exposing his roots, while “The Birth of Medicine” discusses his prayers for grief to emanate and the reassurance that who he is is not who he’s thought to be. “Bleeding Scarlet” offers a calmer vibe with a powerful verse at the beginning and the other half is more of an outro, while “FEAR (Forget Everything and Run)” explains what fear means to him.
Rendered Sir brings a satisfying conclusion to the Knight trilogy, which began with Armor Memoirs, and Sword and Soar continues the trilogy, picking up where the first left off and falling behind the latter, becoming my favorite second installment in the entire storyline. It may even be possible to surpass it. The work, like the rest, is mostly drumless, jazzy, and aside from a few moments here and there, it incorporates some of the best in abstract hip-hop, past and present, to grapple with your past selves.
Rating: 9/10
