Race Against Time

Man, I’ve been waiting on this one for a minute! This is one of those albums you could tell was gonna be FIRE before it even dropped and now that I’ve had a chance to listen to it, holy shit was I right! Let’s get straight into this! This is the brand new album by MC -JRobertz with Production credited from -Olman 80ZZ -Machacha -Finn -CAMOFLAUGE MONK -KNG BONDALERO -Sonny Carson -Sayzee -Imperetn -Blanxx With Mix and Mastering by -FutureWave And Featuring on the mic -Daniel Son -Sayzee -36 Cypher -Brother Tom SOS If that isn’t stacked then I don’t know what is! When commanding such a high quality list of producers it’s always the responsibility of the main artist to make sure it’s all cohesive and well executed. No point having a roster of all stars if they don’t blend together! That’s where I have to give the shoutout to J for! As he was able to make all these different feels and vibes connect in a linear way that makes this a great listening experience! What’s interesting about this album is that it seems to be split into two categories. One is the gritty boom bap atmosphere we’ve all come to love in the culture! That lane being tracks like -Grid Lock’d as we hear that grimy combustion of that hypnotic drum pattern, slick bass and those echoing chord progressions that are accompanied by some delicate keys in the background that help provide some lavish texture! On this track he pairs his lyrical chops with the legend Daniel-Son who brings his trademark street poetry with that organic chemistry with JRobertz who brings his own heat! Or the song -Midnight Marrauders (an obvious nod to -A Tribe Called Quest) and once again we get that boom Bap influence with those melodic piano keys combined with those sharp violin strings and surreal drums with that bass pairing to create that cinematic yet down to earth instrumental that I couldn’t help but knock my head to! And then on the other side of the coin we have the more mellow and atmospheric tracks! For example -Victory Lap (Reminds me of Nipsey Hussle R.I.P) but on this track we hear the more soulful side with that angelic vocal harmony going off in that loop! That is combined with those rhythmic piano chords and stripped back drum work that makes this one of the more striped back yet beautifully done! This is also a track with brother Tom sos to close the track off. He does what he’s always done, kill it! What about the track -96 Beamer that has that gorgeous melody which consists of that mysteriously muffled chord progression that sounds like a magical effect you’d expect to hear from a Game Cube game! It adds a layer of complexity to the track that’s also combined with those groovy electric strings that comes in two different layers as well as some lighter piano keys and thick drum patterns! For a track that has alot going for it, it feels so smooth and fun! Don’t forget, this album is mixed and mastered by FutureWave! So this album has no option but to sound perfect! Now. If I had to describe JRobertz performances in one word. It would have to be ‘driven’ because compared to many of his other works that I’ve covered in the past he sounds absolutely hungry and animalistic in his quest for the best possible verses and I feel he’s achieved that on this one! On this album he’s tough, swift, crisp, fluent and lyrically brilliant! I feel like he’s bringing back the quality of the 90’s and the passion of the 2000’s all to the new era and it sounds FRESH! And I’m talking right from the opening track. No room for error or breaks. He’s 0-100 out the gate and he doesn’t stop till the end of the record. I love how he connects his bars, his clean enunciations and delivery! He definitely has that old school cypher vibe to him that makes every verse feel powerful in execution! One track I loved was -U Turn because the chorus utilised a variant of the 50 Cent song ‘Patiently Waiting’ and that homage being paid to one of the most iconic rappers in the world was a nice and creative touch that made that track pop! I also have to give a shoutout to his chemistry with the various MC’s! I feel it says alot about a rapper who can both hold down a record mostly solo and perform well alongside other artists and he showcases both. Regardless of who out of the 4 he enables strong feats of synchronicity, energy, lyrical mastery and matching the vibe of the feature in question! If I had to choose a favourite feature it would be a dead tie between -Daniel Son/Sayzee! Both men absolutely killed it! From the album title to the dope artwork by -CDyer to the Mix And Mastering by -FutureWave to the various Producers and MC’s! This thing is phenomenal all the way through and definitely one of the strongest efforts of the year!