New England Hip-Hop Group POMAGRANITE Makes Their Presence Known On “Pt. II”
When you put together a few ambitious and talented people with creative minds, great things can happen and they can happen fast. New Hampshire-based hip-hop group POMAGRANITE is living proof, and their latest album just solidified their place among the most intriguing names in New England music.
POMA stands for “Part Of Massachusetts”. GRANITE is an ode to New Hampshire. The majority of the five-person collective comes from just over the southern border of the Granite State, about 15 minutes north of Lowell. Everett Gibbons and Della Kinetic have been rapping together for years, but prior to the group’s inception they had worked primarily as solo artists. In the past year, they’ve combined their talents with the unique voice and style of their friend Joeyroxitt, the production of Charlie Mixwelh, and the engineering/production/occasional singing of Worcester native Bryll.
The results have been apparent. Much like 99 Neighbors in Vermont, it’s taken these guys no time at all to recognize their potential as a group and hit the ground running. Two incredible projects within the span of six months.
The new album is called “Vol. II”, a sequel to their successful debut EP “The Treatment” that was released back in February. That project was created in Florida. This one came together in California. For their next offering, they’ve talked about a possible trip to Nashville. Their goal is to give each album a different feel by allowing their surroundings to influence the music. If that sort of next-level artistry doesn’t drive you to at least give them a listen, then you’re probably the type of person who thinks a state like New Hampshire can’t produce great rappers. It’s time to expand your world.
“The Treatment” was the introduction to the diverse talents that this group has to offer. “Vol. II” is more of a statement about who they really are at their core. Their most successful song to date is “Rest”, which is a vibe track from their debut that features no rapping. It’s not hard to understand why that particular record took off, but it overshadowed the dazzling lyricism of Everett, Della, and Joey on songs like “Come Down”. While there’s no shortage of addicting hooks this time around, the difference is that they also brought the bars out on every single track. From Everett ripping his opening verse on “Duffle” to Della closing out “Move On” with some engaging rhymes about cutting off loose ends and remaining focused on your goals, the emceeing abilities are on full display throughout. (Aside from a minute-long interlude where Bryll serenades us before Della comes in the studio and hilariously expresses his disapproval).
Charlie Mixwelh’s production on the album is impeccable, especially on “BRUSHSTROKE” featuring fellow New Hampshire native Te. Bryll is the engineer behind the whole operation, and he also contributes flawless production and some intoxicating melodies. The only features are provided by two polished rappers in Te as well as Tim Nihan of Massachusetts on “SMART DOLLAH”.
My personal favorites so far include those two as well as “The Dope” and “Valley”, but all 13 tracks deserve a listen. “Pt. II” can be found on all platforms. To keep up with all things POMAGRANITE (shows, new releases, etc.), you can follow @pomagraniterecords on Instagram where you’ll find all their individual pages in the bio. You can also follow their studio page @pomstudiospage.
Enjoy the album!