Navraj Singh Goraya, the self-proclaimed “first brown boy to get it poppin’,” rose to prominence following the SoundCloud boom of 2016 as a rapper and producer. Goraya, who goes by the stage name NAV, was signed to the record label XO — home to artists like The Weeknd — by the label’s co-founder Amir “Cash” Esmailian.
While NAV has never fostered enough interest to fully break into the mainstream, his consistency, production skills and ability to deliver solid features have carried him far. He was featured on Travis Scott’s “ASTROWORLD,” worked on an entire collaborative tape with Metro Boomin and scored multiple No. 1 albums on Billboard, largely thanks to his cult following of both Indian Canadian and American audiences.
“OMW2 REXDALE,” named after his hometown, arrives after a three-year hiatus by the artist. There is a clear sense of maturity and growth from NAV’s last project. This time, he is not chasing a No. 1 Billboard spot with shiny features, adding year-old songs to boost sales or dropping an entire album as a deluxe — “OMW2 REXDALE” is a trim 14 tracks at just 36 minutes, and features vocal guests on only two individual tracks.
The album’s opener, “SINKING,” is an acoustic-driven ballad, with a distant guitar strumming as NAV and a lush choir sing over the catchy, somber chorus. The moody melody is well-executed, and its autotune is no longer cringingly aggressive. Compared to NAV’s usual topics of sex, money and drugs breached in past projects, NAV largely focuses on deeper issues, setting the tone for the record: “Don’t kick me while I’m down ’cause I really need your help / My addictions got you worried when I’m goin’ on tour.” This song serves as a beautiful opener to the project.
The fifth track, “UNLIMITED” was new territory for NAV and features Playboi Carti: Carti performs vocal acrobatics an oddly cheerful beat that sounds like the end of a romantic comedy, while NAV enters with a solid verse, shouting out Carti, controversial figure A$AP Bari, and his label XO. Entertainingly, NAV refers to Carti’s new era with the line, “I could fuck around, go deep voice just like I’m Carti,” as he hits his lower register. The Weeknd then makes a surprise appearance through soaring vocals on the song’s outro.
NAV plays around with vocals on “ONE OF NONE” and “KEEP GOING,” using a warbling, pitched-down effect that gives the songs a woozy, aquatic vibe. He transitions between a nasal tone and a warped style to emphasize a sense of intoxication. While these songs sound robotic and could have been better executed, they effectively communicate the drugged-out vibe that NAV has long wrestled with and featured in his music.
On “BACK 2 BUSINESS,” he declares, “I wanna rap,” and delivers on that statement over a banging, ominous trap beat. He locks into a repetitive but catchy flow, and the same lyrical prowess is present on “BURBS.” The beat is addictive, and NAV spits with energy over aggressive synths and string sections, resulting in a fun listen.
Despite these good ideas, strong features and moments of emotional vulnerability, NAV still falls into patterns of stagnation when he reverts to themes he has explored in past work. Tracks like “YOU” featuring Don Toliver feel like drug-addled leftovers from past album “Good Intentions” or song “Brown Boy.” The production is atmospheric Toronto trap, sounding like a throwaway from Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U.” Toliver delivers an introductory, uninspired verse that adds little to the track. It transitions seamlessly into “STAY UP,” which drags over a slowed-down beat. NAV sounds dazed the entire time, and the track lacks the momentum needed to keep listeners engaged, creating yet another drug-laced love anthem that does not land. “RED,” “NXXD TO YOU,” and “GET 2 U” all feel like the same track in different packaging. NAV recycles his usual autotuned flow over atmospheric trap beats, offering nothing fresh compared to the songs where he took creative risks.
NAV dropped four projects between 2020 and 2023, but perhaps it took stepping away for him to truly find his footing. This latest release proves that when NAV is not fixated on chart positions or streaming numbers, he is capable of creating some of his most compelling work. Hopefully, he continues to embrace creative risks and lean further into the artistic growth he found through his hometown.
Contact Antonio Johri at arts@nyunews.com.