Buffalo, New York emcee Jae Skeese returns with his fourth EP. Starting with his debut mixtape WACK (Women, Alcohol, Cash & Kicks) in 2010, it wasn’t until a decade later that he and 7xvethegenius became the first signees to Conway the Machine’s own Drumwork Music Group, gaining widespread exposure. Third EP Authenticity Check and second album Abolished Uncertainties produced by The Big Ghost Ltd. have both increased Skeese’s popularity over the past few years. Finishing Superior’s production of Testament of the Ages and starting from the ground up, he’ll be putting in 40 hours starting in 2025.
“Balance Inquiry” is a jazzy booming BAP intro that wants to know what’s going on, while “Rotary Phone” talks about the real issues, always breaking through the walls at the end of the day. “Buffganistan,” starring Glueski, dabbles in trap deals and refuses to go bust, while “FedEx” gets back to talking about how to piece it all together.
The song “Strike!” Featuring collaborations with K Pi$tol and Lil Jonezy, the backend of 40 Hours arrives with an energetic bragging that this shit is bigger than life itself, leading into “Way Up,” a fusion of soul and jazz-rap featuring Scoop Dolla Be together and serve your soul for once. “Round & Round” closes out the EP, skipping a sample and reading between the lines about what you’re looking for once you start looking.
Skeese hopes to bring in some local artists and a few producers to provide vibes and bars for the Drumwork fan base, although I personally found myself leaning more towards the Ground Level mixtape he delivered last summer. The production is much like its predecessor, balancing boom bap and trap, except its predecessor contained stronger feature performances.
Rating: 6/10
