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Namir Blade Seiji Inouye/Courtesy of the artist
Nashville s Namir Blade seemed to emerge out of nowhere with the fully formed vision of
Aphelion s Traveling Circus, a concept album with an elaborate sci-fi narrative, witty, theatrical skits and prismatic musicality released on the respected indie hip-hop label Mello Music Group in late September. In reality, the 28-year-old, singing rapper and multi-instrumentalist producer has spent the better part of his life finding or, more accurately, fashioning his artistic identity. He s one of several ascendant hip-hop music-makers who attended Nashville School of the Arts Ron Gilmore, Jr., A.B. Eastwood and Bryant Taylorr did too and Blade s imagination and chops are spoken of with affectionate awe by peers in his city s booming scene. And it s no wonder.