Singer, songwriter, and beat producer, NAV (birth name: Navraj Singh Goraya), finds his roots in the Canadian province of Ontario. Starting out by making beats, NAV never intended to enter the rap scene. Fast-forward a little over 5 years and he is now one of the largest commercial superstars in rap and one of the lead faces of the XO record label. Below are his albums, best to worst.

 

#1 – NAV (2017)

It is fitting that the Toronto native’s first project is self titled, considering it tells us a lot about the artist himself. The opening track, titled “Myself“, is the song that propelled NAV onto the rap scene, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart and becoming a certified platinum record. The main theme of the song is that NAV only feels like himself when he is under the influence of some substance, as he raps “when I’m sober I just don’t like who I am / pour me up a four and I’ll feel like myself again.” In a way, this song sets the tone for the rest of the mixtape. The slowed, spacey melodies, slathered in fast hitting hi-hats and kicks make a perfect soundtrack for speeding downtown in the late night. On the track “Sleep“, NAV takes the listener through the struggle he came up from. He sarcastically orders the listener to “keep on sleepin’ on me,” letting us know that although he “remembers being broke and driving Hondas on E,” he is now far from that lifestyle. There is one feature on the entire project, and that is NAV’s record label partner, The Weeknd, on the track “Some Way“. Due to the project being carried almost solely by Nav – production, writing, and delivery – the hook offered by The Weeknd is refreshing. It demonstrates the versatility of both artists, and showed hip-hop fans that NAV could nearly do it all. Overall, the project has a very consistent theme, with top-tier production and lyric delivery. The mixtape perfectly crafted for cruising down the interstate at 2 a.m., NAV places the Canadian at the forefront of the modern hip-hop scene.

 

#2 – Perfect Timing (2017)

NAV returns the same year to drop a project that is just as valuable to his discography as NAV was. This time, he pairs up with renowned Atlanta trap producer, Metro Boomin, to put out Perfect Timing, a project that details NAV’s adjustment to the new lifestyle he is living. He and Metro compliment each other very well, which is especially evident on the eponymous first track of the project, “Perfect Timing (Intro)“. Metro Boomin lays down mellow 808’s over fast paced and distorted chimes, which NAV matches by upping the tempo of his usual flow, quickly delivering bars that demonstrate the luxurious life he now lives: “Bust down Rollie, flood it with diamonds / Can’t tell what the time is, still know its perfect timing.” One thing that sets this project apart from its predecessor is the large quantity of features, which we see even more of in NAV’s later projects. Perfect Timing features household names such as Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Playboi Carti, and Gucci Mane. As well as the hard hitting, drug referencing trap songs on the mixtape, this project includes a couple tragedies, including “Held Me Down” and “Call Me“, the latter of which NAV really shows his ability to alter his flow and to recognize his roots. Although NAV can recall his past, on “Call Me” he lets his audience know that he regrets where he came from. However, it is just as hard if not harder for him now. He struggles with this new wealth and fame, rapping “I got lots of pressure, lotsa stress on me / Independent I got people that depend on me.” The line right before the hook encapsulates the album as a whole: “My life was better when I didn’t have sh*t.” Perfect Timing explores the difficult time that NAV has with his newfound fame, and after we finish this album, we are left with the same feeling that is embedded the end of the tenth track, a phone busy signal from someone you wished would call you.

 

#3 – Bad Habits (2019)

NAV’s fourth studio project is a celebratory record, in which the rapper has come to accept the life he lives, one filled with drugs, women, guns, and – frankly – bad habits. The introductory track, “To My Grave” expresses the artists complete acceptance of the direction that he is going in. The upbeat flute-type melody shows he is also not upset about this. This album is not in the top two because at some points, it is easy to pick out sounds that are more pop than hip-hop/rap. However, it is not in the bottom two because, at times, this project takes us back to the NAV we knew in 2017. On the most popular track (“Tap“), NAV teams up with Philadelphia trapstar, Meek Mill. The calm piano melody coupled with the ascending bass kicks create a beat destined for top charts. NAV puts the cherry on top with an incredibly catchy and sing-along hook. As usual, though, NAV takes us back home. On “Why You Crying Mama“, he pens a love letter to his mother. Although this project is all about NAV living his life with no cares for repercussions, this track shows his soft side for his mother, saying that “No matter what I spend, I don’t think I can pay her back.” Two tracks later, on “Know Me“, he is back on his horse, declaring that “They know me / Everywhere I go.” Surely, this project highlights NAV’s newfound carefree attitude toward his fast paced lifestyle.

 

#4 – Good Intentions (2020)

NAV’s most recent studio album is also his most heavily featured album. Out of the 18 tracks, 9 include a feature. While there are some hits, there are also some misses. However, the hits are not “traditional NAV hits.” The songs on this album are a lot more commercial, sometimes even generic, and often they cater to the feature rather than NAV himself. For example, on “No Debate“, NAV brings in Atlanta rap legend Young Thug. While this is a great song and I highly suggest a listen, it is clear that the beat was made to fit Thugger. The spaced out, hi-hat jabs are typical of Young Thug, but not so much NAV. Similarly, on “Recap” the beat is clearly one that Don Toliver would rap over, something like an “After Party” or “HAD ENOUGH” beat. I would argue the most traditional NAV song on the album is “Saint Laurenttt“. In this song, we get the same distorted and slowed beats we received on NAV and Perfect Timing. NAV’s distorted voice adds to the drugged up mood of the song as a whole. Another really creative item on this project is the track “My Space“. This song picks up with a phone busy signal – the same signal we heard at the end of “Call Me” on Perfect Timing. Except now, in the sequel, NAV no longer wants his girl to call him, instead he needs his space. This song illustrates how it is still just as hard as it was for NAV during “Call Me“, but now instead of adjusting to his new fame, the rapper tells us “I’m tryna clean up my mess.” The deluxe edition of the album offers a few good tracks such as “Sprite Clean” and “Bag“, but most of it feels commercial and not the authentic NAV we saw nearly three years ago.

 

#5 – RECKLESS (2018)

RECKLESS is largely NAV discussing his uncertainty and wrestling with inner conflict. The album is not terrible, it is just slightly underwhelming, especially after proceeding two masterpieces: NAV and Perfect Timing, which were put out just the year before RECKLESS. This project does give us two pretty successful tracks, “Champion” which features Travis Scott, and “Wanted You” on which NAV pairs with Lil Uzi Vert. A notable song is “Never Change” in which NAV slowly delivers bars that reveal NAV’s fear of outgrowing his fame and lifestyle. This song is free from influence of other artists and provides a snapshot of what a traditional NAV song looks like a couple years into his career. Another track worth discussing is “Freshman List” in which NAV brags about not even needing to be on XXL’s Freshman List. Instead, NAV can make it in the industry on his own, making beats and rapping. Overall, this project is not very complete and does not offer much in terms of a certain theme or mood. While it is not a terrible album, it is nowhere near the best that NAV is capable of.