jev. is a 24-year-old underground MC from Ontario, Canada who rose to prominence in early 2021 with the release of his debut single “Jays”. The following winter, the first EP “The Color Grey” was released. Finally, the follow-up product LONERWRLD came out last fall. He had just released a couple of singles a month ago, and little did I know they were being put together in preparation for Jev.’s full-length debut studio album.
“Alice” kicks off the record with a soulful Bap cut so the Congolese-Canadian rising star can vow to show off the weaknesses of anyone who tries to take a shot at him, and “The Art of War.” The Undertaker, starring Darion Harris, took the trap route, switching multiple times at one point to sample the iconic bell that symbolized the greatest WWE of all time Superstar The Undertaker continues to drop hardcore lyricism. The “Villain Theme” continues in the form of an outrageous anthem that pays homage to the people on the street before the interlude of “FEEL$.”
Meanwhile, on “Famous” we have jev. Heading in the direction of Symphonic Trap, before “Save a Place for Me,” there’s a woman telling him she wants to be famous. “Wings of the Sky.” There’s a profound gospel flip as the theme becomes more personal, but then comes “Wipe My Tears.” The second leg, starring August Charles, jazzed up the optimism even further amid heartbreaking circumstances.
“Call Me Back.” A drumless hip-hop/R&B crossover featuring Raemi that tackles the related theme of your partner not fighting back on you in “The Killer Shewolf.” Reintegrating piano, bass and snare drums into the picture, culminating in his brotherly performance. After the “Man on Fire” interlude comes the penultimate song “Wonderland”. The Aero Austaire frontman combines a rap-rock song inspired by “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Era Kanye” with a melodic second half and “Samurai Monologue.” Ends when angels weep. Instill fear of God in people by cooking a fun trap.
Few would sum up jev.’s style as a modern take on old-school hip-hop, combining the sampling spirit of classics like Wu-Tang Clan & Nas with the uncanny ability of new-school standouts like Kendrick Lamar and Saba or Smino, I It can certainly be heard on the Ontarian’s debut. His balance of East Coast boom bap, trap, jazz-rap, pop-rap, and occasional R&B further propelled him into becoming an underground artist with mainstream appeal.
Score: 8/10
