CD reviews
JAY ROCK Redemption
CALIFORNIAN rapper Jay Rock has flown under the radar with his third album through no fault of his own.
Having a mid-June release date that clashed with the five Kanye produced albums, Nas, Pusha T, Drake, Beyonce and Jay-Z … there was just a lot going on.
However, for rap fans looking for a no-nonsense good time, Rock could be your guy. He’s done a great job channelling his “battle scars and tribulations, downfalls from the situations” as he spits on The Bloodiest.
Rock digs into his personal life for inspiration, like the time he had a near-death motorcycle crash or — going back a few years — his experiences on the streets of Watts.
Perhaps his catchiest song to date is WIN. He combines blazing horns and a self-assured performance on the mic to create an adrenaline rush.
On Broke +- he shows a knowing, humorous side of his persona with a sly wink to his position on the Top Dawg Entertainment roster.
“I’m part of a winning family, call me Marlon Jackson,” he spits in reference to the under the radar Jackson 5 member.
The TDE link is never a bad thing. Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith is an excellent musician and producer. And who is the other executive producer on Redemption? None other than label mate and Pulitzer Prize winner, Kendrick Lamar, whose influence filters through the album not just on the one smokin’ hot song Wow Freestyle where they rap together.
KING PRINCESS Make My Bed
TALENTED newcomer King Princess knows her way around a pop song. While just 19, her debut outing has an impressive level of song craft that belies her tender years.
It opens with the title track, a short intro of sorts that sets the tone for the EP. It recalls a singer like Imogen Heap with her layered, echoing vocal style.
Next is my favourite pop song of the year to date Talia. Heartbreak is at the core of this tune. It really zooms skyward with its aching yet sultry chorus delivered in a Mark Ronson meets Fun kind of way. It’s got oomph!
Washed-out slow jam Upper West Side depicts a lonely type of love and King Princess’ vulnerable state but then on Holy she ups the attitude and fleshes out the beats into something approaching hefty (compared to the EP’s quieter moments).
The set closes with its first single 1950, a pitch perfect piano and light guitars ballad with some 2018 updates in the swaggering lyrics and in the sucking noises in the percussion. “I hate it when dudes try to chase me, I love it when you try to save me, ‘cause I’m just a lady...”
Now that her debut release is such a roaring success it’ll be interesting to see how soon King Princess’ debut album follows to consolidate the current buzz that surrounds her.