The Bar

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1. Shadows Forever
2. Ahead of the Game feat. Blacastan
3. Strikes
4. Threats feat. Chen Lo
5. Away with Me
6. Even on Your Best Day
7. Take it Back
8. Lights Out
9. Nobody’ll Do it For You
10. It’s Still a Love Song

Official Bar Score: 

What up gangsters? Come mi bicho, bitches. DJ_Brilliant here again to tell you what he thinks you should be listening to.

Who?

The production duo of Blue Sky Black Death. Femcee Jean Grae.

What?

The Evil Jeanius. An “unauthorized” collabo.

Why?

BSBD make hot shit. I first had the pleasure of hearing them on Razah’s Ladder with Hell Razah. So whenever I see their name attached to something, I pay it my mind. I don’t pick up much underground stuff, so I ain’t had the pleasure of hearing a lot of Ms Grae. I do know she can spit fire and sounds good over quality beats.

Tell me more…

All the production was done by Blue Sky Black Death with Jean handling all the verses. If you’ve never heard BSBD beats, you’ve been sleeping on some good shit. They have that classic hip hop style, meaning they mix real instrumentations and samples into melodic gems. A tried and true hip hop formula that always sounds good to my ears. This shit is just straight hip hop for hip hop heads.

The Album:

1. Shadows Forever

Hot yet ’shadowy’ production to start it off. Semi-obscure Velvet Underground sample woven into the beat adds to dark psychedelic undertones of the song, and makes me feel cool for recognizing it. No frills, Jean starts if off right spitting fire. Nothing too deep, just how great she is. I cant place what the sample is on the hook.

“Brace yourself like a plane crash stance, the words break dance all over your face and hands”

2. Ahead of the Game ft Blacastan

Foot tapping hip hop with a piano loop and simple boom bap kick snare. Scratches of snippets for the hook. Blacastan (great name) spitting about how dope and real he is. Jean doing the same, for well more than the typical 16 bars.

“Cut off your privates, get blood on your eyelids, red splash so high that it rains on you violent”

3. Strikes

Graceful production using stings, electric organs and layers. Jean starts off riding before the beat even starts to build into the kick snare, which pulls your ears in to the beauty of the music. Clever tale of running from ‘Tommy’ and ducking into to a coffee shop, and the paranoia felt running through her mind. Beautiful music and well told story. Wonderful.

“I’m pale so I use the menu as a veil”

4. Threats ft Chen Lo

Starts off banging with old soul vocal stabs chopped up and mixed with the kick pattern. Builds itself up for Jean to jump on and ride it till it rises completely. God this shit is magnificent, I’m dancing around and clapping my hands along. No hook, just the crescendo of the track and then it drops off again to start all over with Chen Lo’s verse. Talking shit to the industry, to peeps and making threats to anyone. Old school golden age shit talking track. Good 40 secs of nothing but music to ride it out. My new favorite song.

“Manage to cause panic in the unworthy so they abandon it”

5. Away With Me

Stunning Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye vocal samples for the hook. Lovely and gracefully melodic production. Jean waxing poetic to her love. Gorgeous song.

“I will take you away with me as far as I can, Every sky will be blue as long as your loving me”

6. Even on Your Best Day

Reversed flute stabs and electric piano rolls melody, mixed with a off beat kick snare ride cymble pattern. Interesting but clustered. Jean letting you know that ‘even on your best day you couldnt compete’.

“I just graduated the school of lack of patience, you just received your masters in masturbation”

7. Take it Back

Euphoric loop and production. Flutes and bass, mixed with sparse snare. Jean telling the community and culture to ‘take it back’. Weak hook but the verses are fire and it has a positive message.

8. Lights Out

Beautifully constructed beat. Ms Grae knocking you out with her lyrics. The sample on the hook and throughout could be anyone its so simple, yet its unidentifiable. Quick verses, the is probably half instrumental but I sure ain’t complaining cuz its dope.

“Watch out now, time to get inside like the street lights just came on and you was a child”

9. Nobody’ll Do It For You

Neck snapping hand clapping beat. Cut and scratches on the sampled hooks reminding folks that “you gotta do you, cuz nobody will do it for you”. Jean telling us she’s back, ain’t going nowhere and what she’s been up to.

“I got something to prove, you can what you want but you’re not in my shoes”

10. It’s Still a Love Song

It sounds like they sampled or interpolated the same song the B.E.P.’s did for Where is the Love? or just jacked the melody. Whatever the case, I’m not digging this song. I’m not even sure what she’s talking about, I think its about her love again. Weak rhymes and I’m not feeling it or anything about this song.

Jean’s storytelling are showcased throughout, but are never overshadowed by the production. Keys,synths,organs and flutes mixed with moody textures, samples and scratches all show a real love of classic hip hop. Every song fits perfect with Jean’s vocals. Neither over shadows the other, just a perfect meshing of beats and lyrics. Well worth your money or getting your hands on.

At least 8 of the 10 songs are certified DJ_Brilliant dope, Choice cuts in bold.

4 Blunts outta 5.

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