(Triple Threat)

Chapter three in the J-Live saga

J-Live’s new album opens with a summary of his backstory that becomes a dialogue questioning that story – he calls his absentee father the Devil and a voice says, ‘In what way is your father the devil?’ before moving on to interrogate his five-percenter ideology. It’s like psychotherapy, putting his flaws, internal contradictions and preferences on display. His golden-age influence shows on The Upgrade, a jazzy number with guest appearance by Posdanous from De La Soul, which is followed by the newschool beats of It Don’t Stop. “You might be reminded of the ‘90s or the ‘80s / but I gotta refute ya now / this is the future sound.”  Even more futuristic sounding is the cross-cultural soup of Ole with Spanish guitar and guest Oddy Gato. The lyrics remain as personal as the opening dialogue and even this party song about going to a party mentions J-Live’s divorce getting him down. The beat experimentation peaks on What You Holdin’? which sounds like the intro for a track got stuck and looped over and over until he announces, “Waitin for it to drop? / It already dropped, this is it!” before he flows over the sound of fuzz and a band warming up. The personal nature of the story he’s telling means the album functions best as part of his ongoing odyssey, an extended answer the question in the title, but it’s musically impressive enough to enjoy on its own.

***˝

JODY MACGREGOR

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