This is the highly anticipated third album from Charlotte, NC emcee Reuben Vincent. His debut album “IDOL.escent”, which appeared under the original name Esau, attracted the attention of 9th Wonder, who signed Reuben to Jamla Records in 2016. His debut album Myers Park will be released next fall and will be followed by previous EP Boy Meets World, which led to Roc Nation Records handling future releases from Reuben, just as Jamla-signed Rapsody began with sophomore effort Love is War. 3 years ago and continued to increase his popularity. General Admission isn’t too bad by comparison, having finally dropped Welcome Home after the critically acclaimed Hit Me When You Get Here earlier this spring.
“Homecoming” promises over a smooth Bap instrumental that the blood, sweat and tears he puts into his music won’t run through his veins, while “Day by Day” celebrates the highest in everyday life in the form of a soul sample. “God’s Children,” starring Ab-Soul, sees the pair nostalgically paying homage to Ahmad’s hit “Back in the Day,” before the charming “Gotta Get It” talks about pay.
As for “Queen City,” we have Reuben observing the now-plethora of wannabes and dismissing the crowd that’s been in his ears telling him what he can and can’t do, leading to the triumphantly funky “Get Up (Get Down)” talk about turning pages here. “Issa Dee” takes a summery beat and confronts the concept of insecurities, leading directly to “Anything” talking about doing anything to make his partner happy.
“So I Pray,” starring Heather Victoria, joins forces for a luxurious ode to the spirituality of the two Jamla artists, while “Dre & Sydney” finds itself trying to figure out why this couple is so close, only to sample soul music again. Wale’s “Get It Girl” shows off her flirtatious side over some synths, while “Sweet & Good” continues the theme of love amid orchestral flourishes of bap instrumentation.
Jourden Cox joins Reuben on the soulful “Just 4 Me” to talk about God creating soulmates just for them, while “Cup of Love (Fools)” explains how he prefers living like a country boy to winning awards. “I’m Good” by Marco+ is 5 and a half minutes long, assuring anyone who cares that they are doing a good job, while “In My Life” ends things with a line from my favorite Roy Ayers song “Searching”.
Returning to the basics of Ruben Vincent’s artistic creation, Welcome Home represents a full-circle moment from the perspective of the Ninth Wonder, the man who gave him his first chance in the game, returning to where it all began while elevating their artistic bond. He may have lost friends and family to get to where he is now, but what he gained was more valuable than living in the process and ultimately seeing the results after staying focused.
Rating: 9/10
