Nefew (stylised as NEFEW) is a multicultural hip hop group currently based in Switzerland. It consists of ''Polemikk'' (MC, producer) and ''PA-Double'' (DJ, producer). Nefew is an acronym which stands for New Enlightenment From Every Word.

Q Magazine ''Q'' was a British popular music magazine. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. ''Q'' was published in print in the ...

describes Nefew as one of the most promising hip hop acts from Europe. The duo is represented by independent label ''On Our Feet Ent.'' and Puma. NEFEW's musical style is often compared to artists such as

Common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

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better known as 9th Wonder, is an American record producer, record ...

, Kenn Starr (rapper), Kenn Starr and

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. Many of the group's productions contain soulful samples, as well as jazz keys and string arrangements.

Career

2007–2010: First album and Puma deal

After changing their name to NEFEW, the group took their first big step in 2007, releasing their debut studio album called ''Off the Cuff'', which contains the track ''Admit It'', a collaboration with Brooklyn rappers

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ...

and

Masta Ace Duval Clear (born December 4, 1966), better known by his stage name Masta Ace, is an American rapper and record producer from New York City. A lead member of Mr. Magic's hip hop collective Juice Crew, he is best known for his guest appearance alo ...

. The album received mixed reviews from music critics.

musicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...

gave it 2 out of 5 stars, while ''UK Hip Hop'' calls it a "''well-intentioned if unsurprising slice of underground rap''". In December 2009, Puma began to support NEFEW in the matter of promotion. This allowed the independent duo to reach a much higher number of fans. Nefew are the first hip hop act to be endorsed by the company. Also, Nefew revealed in several interviews that they were negotiating with two major labels. Yet, no record deal is official. With Puma supporting the group, however, NEFEW released an EP. It was available only on iTunes Music Store. The track ''Biko'' features R&B singer Chanj and former

GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...

signee Consequence, and held number two position in the US College Radio Charts.

2010–2014: Antihero trilogy

''Antihero Begins'' came out in April 2010 as a free mixtape. The record had considerable success, not least of all because it was published on highly respected hip hop blog ''2dopeboyz.com''. Also, ''Antihero Begins'' received general acclaim from music critics.

Okayplayer Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The community was founded by The Roots' drummer ...

gave it 89 out of 100 points: ' After ''Antihero Begins''

DJ Green Lantern James Christopher D'Agostino (born July 7, 1975), professionally known as DJ Green Lantern, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Rochester, New York. In 2002, D'Agostino was signed by American rapper Eminem, to become the official DJ for ...

took notice of the groups work and came up with the idea of a collaboration. In January 2011, ''Man Vs Many'', which is hosted by

, was released. Among others, the mixtape features soul singer

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and Rapper

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. The album was later re-released as a digital album. In October 2011, Nefew released the EP ''Transitions'' with German producer 7inch. The EP "For Hip Hop", a collaboration with

and Shakes, followed in 2012. The most recent studio album is called ''Rise of the Antihero'' (released in November 2014). It features various notable artists such as

BJ the Chicago Kid Bryan James Sledge (born November 23, 1984), better known by his stage name BJ the Chicago Kid (or simply BJ), is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Sledge is best known for frequently collaborating with Top ...

, Jared Evan and STS Gold. The album peaked at No. 37 on the Swiss album charts. Nefew intends to release another studio album (''The Antihero''), concluding the Antihero trilogy.

2015–present: Empire deal

Nefew joined forces with record label

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

in 2016. Shortly thereafter, Slides EP was released.

Discography

Studio albums ;EPs * 1999: ''Lyrical Quarrel'' (as Emphacized Prophecy) * 2003: ''Pieces of Forsaken Times'' (as Emphacized Prophecy) * 2009: ''Homesick EP'' * 2011: ''Transitions'' (with 7inch) * 2016: ''Slides EP'' ;Free mixtapes * 2007: ''Tales of the Dago'' (Polemikk and Tony Sicily) * 2010: ''Antihero Begins'' * 2011: ''Man Vs Many'' (presented by

) * 2012: ''For Hip-Hop'' (with

& Shakes) * 2014: ''ROTAH EP'' ;Singles * 2007: ''Admit It'' (feat.

) ;Featured singles * 2009: ''Best Men DJs – Wedding Crashers'' (feat. Seven & Nefew) * 2014: ''Big Boys – Only One'' (feat. Mickey Blue & Nefew) ;Also appeared on * 2007: ''Rotosphere – Rotosphere (Is Outta Here)'' (feat. Polemikk) * 2008: ''

Torae Torae Liston Carr (born March 18, 1983), known mononymously as Torae, is an American rapper from the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. He has released a number of solo albums and collaborative works, and operates the independent recor ...

– I Don't Care'' (feat. Nefew) * 2008: ''DJ Age & Costa – Pickin’ Up the Pieces'' (feat. Souleez, Teichoskopie & Nefew) * 2008: Splash Compilation: ''Nefew – Because I Can'' * 2009: ''Jonas – Sensational Remix'' (feat. Nefew) * 2009: ''Portefank – Let's Go!'' (feat. Polemikk) * 2010: ''Loufonq – Low'' (feat. Nefew) * 2010: ''Ruck N' Wiz – Changes You Made'' (feat. Nefew) * 2010: ''

Juice Juice is a drink made from the extraction or Cold-pressed juice, pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat ...

#108: Nefew – Day by Day'' * 2011: '' Mediate Souls – Let it come'' (feat. Nefew) * 2012: ''Knightstalker – Paid To Lose'' (feat. Nefew & Souleez) * 2012: ''Nekst86 – Friss das!'' (feat. Nefew) * 2013: ''Damon Daye – Give A Sh*T'' (feat. Nefew) * 2013: ''DJ ZID – It's Your Life (DJ ZID Remix)'' (feat. Nefew) * 2014: ''Maxxwell – Backstabber'' (feat. Nefew) ;Produced * 2010: ''Knightstalker – Late Knight Show'' (produced by Nefew) * 2012: ''Steno – Storie Di Una Storia'' (produced by Polemikk) * 2012: ''Knightstalker – End of the Tunnel'' (produced by PA-Double)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Swiss hip-hop groups English-language musical groups from Switzerland Musical groups established in 2007