Jay Rock-Redemption Review

Its been a long time coming for Jay Rock. The Watts California Emcee have been grinding his way to the top for several years.  DJ Kay Slay stamped him and throughout the past decade has released several mixtapes including two critically acclaimed albums Follow Me Now and 90059.  With artists on TDE like Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Schoolboy Q breaking wave in the 2010s with their releases,  It was looked upon that Jay Rock would finally get his due.

But unfortunately for Jay Rock, A near fatal motorcycle nearly killed not only his career but takened his life. On what should have been the night TDE would claim supreme with Kendrick Lamar dominating the grammys, The night went from estatic to total somber. Luckily Jay Rock survived and made the long road to recovery. That brush with death was a total motivation behind his project titled Redemption.

The first thing I noticed in listening to JayRock’s new album is his voice. If you listen to Rock’s material from where he started, He had a raspier flow. He sounded similar to Game on alot of his songs. I don’t know how the voice change occured or he happened to change it but it fairs better for him.  The album’s opening track has him reflecting on his brush with death and how much it costed him: Flipped off that bitch, milly rockin’ the wheel/Two hundred thousand in the bank, straight to hospital bills.

Is it All Worth it is another personal favorite of mines as we find Rock battling with making the right choices in his current position. He also drops heavy gems about women can lead to a man downfall as bad as money:

“They say money is the rule of the rule of all evil/I say the power of people would starve people/That pretty flower would spoil you and then poison you/You get amnesia to everything your loyal too.

ES Tales has Jay Rock revisiting his hardcore roots. You can tell from the Freddy Kruger sample and thunderous backdrop that you’re gonna be in for some serious hood shyt:

Don’t come around without your pass, niggas on they tipZero tolerance on niggas money, niggas want they shitDon’t start nothing without your blower, that’s a one way tripSix feet under, real life, that’s all gunplay isThat is that hood shit

OSOM which features J Cole paints the graphic but realistic picture of what survival is like for the young black male day to day in America. From financial struggles, self addictions, paranoia of the everyday street life. J Cole provides the very somber but melodic hook painting the

Despite this being JayRock’s most personal album to date.. There’s plenty of upbeat tracks that showcases Rock celebrating his and TDE’s success. WIN and King is Dead were both major smashes in 2018 which got him grammy nods. He also took it to the clubs with Tap out featuring Jeremiah and straight to the hood house parties with Rotation 112th.

Overall this is probably Jay Rock’s best album to date. Unfortunately he was over shadowed by the releases of Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Nas. But IMO this was probably the BEST release of the four albums. Jay Rock proved on this album that he’s a star in the making and he should no longer go overlooked

Vic Rating: 9 outta 10