The Ray Sosa produced single is a callback to that grimey NY/mid-90s era sound. The ominous drums and piano instrumental evoke those Mobb Deep/CNN/Wu Tang classics tracks (joints like Mobb's "Street Life" come to mind). I thought that cuts from DJ Grazzhoppa were an ILL Conscious staple, but now I see that Jay got this secret ingredient in his repertoire too. Once again DJ Grazzhoppa caps another track off with dope scratches. His cuts contain Nas bars from the single "Triple Threat" (if you ain't peep that, do that soon) and sounds like a bar from M.O.P. or Scarface (not really sure either way, holla if you know though). Jay Royale hits you right off the bat with his authentically vivid street bars. His flow on this style of beat is perfection. Handling the second verse duties is Buffalo vet, B.E.N.N.Y. The Butcher. The lyrical chemistry these two spitters have is front and center. When Jay Royale pairs with ILL Conscious, we know there's a bond there that allows them to create classic tracks. But both MD emcees are HEAVILY influenced by the Golden Era. Specifically from the NY area. So the fact that pairing Jay and Benny gives you a track like this shouldn't be that surprising. The transition from Jay to Benny is a smooth baton transfer. The personal touches each emcee puts in their verses allows the track to be cohesive yet individual. It is sort of a an oxymoron. Both men are clearly products of their respective experiences, but there are also overlapping themes that tie them together. I guess you could just chalk that up to both being "East Coast" emcees.
The decisions made with the music video further compliments the overall final product. The black and white video has a grainy quality to it. The sort of look you get from those those vintage 35 mm films (not a film expert but I think that's right, or some other number variation): rounded edges, ratio dimensions that are closer to a square, and with grainy and solar flare "imperfections". Of course all of this is done intentionally. The visual technique gives the video that old documentary feel. Combining that with lyrics about street life solidify the overall vibe of the track. You get an idea of what Jay Royale is capable of with a polished track like this. If this track speaks to your soul, than stay tuned as we see what else Jay got prepared for the rest of The Ivory Stoop.
•••••
https://www.facebook.com/justin.johnson.1291
Want your single, video or album featured/reviewed with BITM? Get at us:
No comments:
Post a Comment