The Rhyme Suite

A profile on Miami-based rapper Knarley Noso, who recently dropped his fourth studio album.

Knarley Noso doesn’t care about being the golden child anymore.

The numbers are cool, and being seen as one of the best rappers to come out of Carol City – a neighborhood in Miami – would certainly be a plus. But he didn’t choose music; music chose him. And he wants to reach a place where he can dwell within the music industry while dropping knowledge for the newcomers.

More than anything, Knarley Noso is on a mission to push our understanding of what hip-hop can be. Kowabunga, the recent addition to his discography, does just that.

Released on March 3rd, Kowabunga taps into his roots as a Bahamian-American with connections across the West Indies.

“I got a vast background of where the bloodline goes,” he told The Rhyme Suite. “Being super cultured on West Indian culture and tapping back into those roots, I was exercising my pen. I just really wanted to separate myself sonically.”

Noso is your classic hip-hop head, growing up on the likes of Lil Wayne, Canibus, and Big L, but he likes to maintain a balance of crafting clever bars and getting the ladies “instantly moving.” “PARTYMAN,” a track off his latest project, had this exact effect during a recent show, which he attributes to the groove he’s adapted over time. 

“My sound is eclectic, way more groovy. I know how to subtly drop some dope information into a song without making it overzealous,” he said. “Before, it was all about being super deep, but people won’t be receptive to deepness unless you make them feel good first. You’ve got to earn that leisure.”

But it’s not just about the music, it is also about the performance.

“I’m one of the best performing artists out here breathing,” he asserts with no hesitation. “I leave my body. I’m giving the people what they paid for. I’m talking to the people like it’s just me and them.”

His confidence is something that has always helped him to thrive, particularly in his days as an athlete.

“When I played football, I was known for my confidence and spunk, the will to fight. It was a very easy transition [to music],” he explained. “Taking the initiative to sharpen my sound, that determination – those are things I brought over from sports. That and just really recognizing that if I really want to get good at this, I have to get up and do it myself.”

Developing his sound as a rapper is one of his favorite, and most defining, transitions. He first delved into rap as a poet, and when he realized poetry was not his preferred medium, he took that dive.

“The thing about rapping that nobody talks about is when you develop these flows, these sounds, you’re doing this on your own constructive time,” he said. “There’s no one telling you to go write a rhyme. That was one of the dopest things about creating my sound.” 

Noso is as persistent as they come, equipped with the determination to get the results he seeks, and he often uses this to inspire others.

“One of my greatest gifts is getting people activated to become the best version of themselves,” he said. “I love the act of touching people.”

With the hope to touch people through his music, he looks forward to obtaining song placements, building community in the music scene, and curating the most thrilling experiences for his fans. He believes in creating win-win environments for he and his peers to thrive in, and while he hopes to reach new heights, he will never forget where he is from. 

“Ain’t no place like Miami, and it ain’t no shade to where you’re from,” he said. “Being exposed to so many cultures was a service to me.

When it comes to his career track, this is far from the last of what we will see from him.

“I have an idea of where I want my artistry to go and what results I want,” he said. “I’ve just been in my head about what that looks like next.”

Kowabunga is available on Spotify and Apple Music. Be sure to give it a listen.