Nuts & Kids

Nuts & Kids is the debut mixtape by American musician Nantes, released October 13, 2014 by Sphinx Sound. It is the first entry in his Nuts & Kids mixtape series. The mixtape features production from several up-and-coming producers such as Nantes' older brother Sydetrack'd, Jordeaux, Kelly Portis, Jvke, and mjNichols, among others. It features a lone guest appearance from Kezi Coo. It was recorded during Nantes' turbulent adolescence, from 2012 to 2014, following his relocation to Tennessee and subsequent troubles at home.

Background
In the summer of 2010, Nantes and his older brother Sydetrack’d were forcibly relocated to Tennessee where they would live their grandmother. The sudden change in locale caused Nantes numerous problems and led to a series of incidents that caused him placed on house arrest in 2013. Around this time, Sydetrack’d spent time producing music, attempting to hone his craft and completed his first beat tape, Downtyme (2014); which in turned inspired Nantes. He began to revisit the music he'd recorded in 2012 on their laptop, intending to expand on it and create a full length project as his newfound predicament allowed him time to. Nantes was released from house arrest in the summer of 2013 and was able to witness the birth of his son, further inspiring him to take his music seriously. With urging from a friend and fellow rapper Kezi Coo, Nantes and Sydetrack'd began recording music together, often meeting in his small apartment which they dubbed the "Yo". An avid poet, Nantes soon begin crafting the basis for his songs through his poetry as house arrest granted him time to do so. The poems detailed Nantes' emotions during this time and allowed him to better articulate his feelings on record.

Music & Lyrics
Nuts & Kids is loose concept album that details Nantes' adolescence and his transition into being a teenager and young adult. It explores nostalgia heavily with songs like "Cape Canaveral" explaining Nantes' first encounter with marijuana or "The Section 8 Song" which explains his upbringing on county assistance. On the project's fifth anniversary, Nantes explained that he also wanted the album to touch on the black experience and trauma in black homes, referencing tracks like "Her Portrait", a track about a teenage girl using sex to heal and "Virtruvian Kid" which details Nantes' relationship with his parents. The project ends with the first ever song Nantes recorded: "Floatin".

Recording & Production
Amidst problems at home on top of his house arrest, recording of the tape become quite tedious as Nantes was only armed with a Compaq Presario F700 equipped with FL Studio and Mixcraft as well as a Turtle Beach headset for recording. Recording occurred between Nantes' room in his grandmother's home and Kezi Coo's home studio dubbed "the Yo". The mixtape's production is sparse and incorporates many hip-hop sub-genres from trap to boombap, even bordering on nerdcore.

Title & Artwork
During a Q & A, Nantes revealed his explanation behind the mixtape's unorthodox title stating, "I thought of this title in the 10th grade. It was the most description of my life at the time. Where I was at in the South, these cats thought fuckin' girls was the move so bussin' that nut was vital so what came outta that, the kid--that kid--- was true fear. Nuts and kids were the pros and cons of these n*ggas lives".

The tape’s art was created by renowned graphic designer, KD Designz.

Reception
The mixtape received lukewarm reactions from listeners, who praised the musicality but criticized by its mediocre mixing and incoherent nature. The tracks "Cape Canaveral", "Temple of Love", "Aces", "Drive By", and "The Section 8 Song" have received tremendous praise from listeners, citing them as the project's strong points. In recent years, the negative reception has died down.

Tracklisting

 * 1) A Walk in the Park (Intro) | 1:14
 * 2) $o Good | Prod. by IGNORVNCE | 3:12
 * 3) Cape Canaveral | Prod. by Jvke | 3:40
 * 4) Temple of Love | Prod. by Jordeaux | 3:54
 * 5) Lil Kid From Slauson | Prod. by Kelly Portis | 3:37
 * 6) Her Portrait | Prod. by Ban3 | 3:24
 * 7) Aces | Prod. by Aye Silver | 3:21
 * 8) Kiss & Tell | Prod. by Wonya Love | 3:01
 * 9) Drive By (ft. Kezi Coo) | Prod. by mjNIchols | 3:30
 * 10) Summer Rains | Prod. by Sydetrack'd | 3:53
 * 11) The Dark Night (Alex's Sunrise & A Song for A Dear Sister) | Prod. by Chuck Hertz and Epedemik Beatz | 3:33
 * 12) $mart (Some Men Aren't Ready To) | Prod. by Jordeaux | 3:24
 * 13) The Section 8 Song | Prod. by Tavis Moore | 3:38
 * 14) Virtruvian Kid | Prod. by Sun Yehoshua | 4:24
 * 15) Floatin' | Prod. by Eko | 2:17

Total length:| 50:12

Samples

 * "The Section 8 Song" contains a sample of "This Is My Promise" by The Temptations
 * "Vitruvian Kid" contains a sample of "My Life" by Mary J. Blige