One Day

It doesn't take long to realize that Abraham is not your typical emcee; one can probably count the number of white Jewish rappers on one hand. In no way, though, is this meant to suggest that he is unworthy of blessing the mic. Simply put, Abraham has been a hip-hop head from day one (he claims to have written his first rhyme at the age of nine), and his understanding for the music itself allows him to come across as an intelligent and well-versed rapper. Any doubts of whether Abraham can match the fast paced nature of the beat are put to rest 1:50 into "Spiderman on Vitamins", as he kicks it up a notch with a verse that showcases his impressive flow and lyrical dexterity. It's not often you hear a rapper spitting about his childhood memories from Hebrew school – whether it's chasing girls or questioning the idea of God – and "Spiderman on Vitamins" has a fresh and unique feel to that is hard to ignore. "Play On" also sees Abraham chronicle his grade-school exploits and later romantic endeavors, this time over a driving bassline and menacing piano with a high-pitched synth in the background. He isn't afraid to hold anything back as he spits about past failed relationships, rapping: "If love is blind, then I was Helen Keller Or Anne Frank, a cellar dweller Afraid of independence, for years she seemed so heaven sent But it was evident that merriment was missing" Abraham continues to flaunt his skills on the mic on "I Wanna Hear Y'all," as he effortlessly spits tongue twisting lines such as: "I'm improper like a fraction with friction I'm magic with diction I'm practically flipping phonics backwards Rippin' and robbin', rockin' and rollin', stoppin' and strollin' My rhymes got you pausing often like commas and colons" At this point, it may seem as if Jesse Abraham can do no wrong, but unfortunately this is not the case. While he does a good job switching his flow up to keep things from growing monotonous, his voice and delivery are simply not necessarily well-suited for some of the more hardcore tracks on the EP, such as "Written While Sittin' on a Hammock," and "Figure It Out." And while he does have a knack for spinning stories, there are a few times where it seems as if Abraham is too concerned with showing off his speedy delivery by merely stringing together words that rhyme, rather than taking his time and slowing things down with more meaningful lyrics. The bottom line is that "One Day" is a solid effort from an up-and-coming New York underground emcee, nothing more and nothing less. There are times when Jesse Abraham seems like a pro on the mic, and there are times where his delivery fades and his lyrics grow repetitive and tedious. If nothing else, it's interesting to hear his background and unique perspective as a rapper incorporated into his lyrics, and this alone makes his debut EP worth checking out. And given the old-school feel of a number of tracks, those looking to resurrect the golden age should at least give a cursory listen to "One Day".

Imagine The Beastie Boys trio blended into a single entity, pumped full of 4 Lokos, and let loose with a humor-driven hip-hop philosophy built for spelling-out straightforward statements in every possible blend of Eyedea-esque (RIP) metaphors, similes, and non-sequiters that speak in completely slightly-understandable clarity and playful seriousness. If none of that makes sense, then you’ve caught the basic definition. The EP is immediately striking, with tracks like “Spiderman on Vitamins” and “Ridiculous” being built around what seems a single-string strum on a Japanese Shamisen, urban stomp-clap combos, Tabla drums, sitar, and Andes flutes, while others such as “One Day feat. Eric Sosa” and “Connections feat. Jeanette Berry” work with highly trance based arpeggios and organic drum, as well, in the case of “Connections,” Ace of Base​ style hooks. Set that to the side, and you’re left with a continual purge of the unexpected, meeting tracks such as the !llmind-produced “Play On” that carries a more modern feel, best exhibiting the comparison of his style to Eyedea or El-P, and “Figure It Out feat. Fresh Daily” which hits more on the metaphor-drugged philosophical side, asking the grand question of “What are we all here for?” in the hook. Throughout One Day, Jesse runs with a lyrical flow reminiscent of a slowed-down Fu-Schnickens and defibrillator-shocked Paid in Full Rakim that’s established on the opening bars of “Spiderman on Vitamins,” and is well-kept as the songs move along. Regarding lyrical talent, Jesse possesses a touch for humorous wordplay that implies purposelessness, though it seems the reverse, and his overall style seems somewhat of a neo-homage to hip-hop’s early beginnings. To give you an idea of Jesse’s rhyme style, here’s a few bars from the track “Figure It Out”: “Holla back/Have some challah, I’ll have half/Hallucinations in Holland, a holy holograph/Hallelujah/Holidays they all go fast/Hollandaise and halibut are all just but a hologram.” ...I’m not even entirely sure that the transcription is spot on, but I think it exemplifies what I’m trying to explain here. The jostling roll throughout One Day is a difficult one to keep straight on, as the sound style switches throughout do their best to create a disorientation and vertigo effect, especially on a first listen. It’s nothing to aim at derogatorily, as Jesse’s a difficult one to judge when put into the usual definitions in hip-hop’s spectrum, and given the circumstance, the EP is more-so one of those figure it out for yourself collection of songs. There’s no doubt that a talent lies clearly in song, but the matter comes down to letting yourself try and understand it rather than simply brushing it off as absurd.

What makes Jesse Abraham's "One Day" different than the hundreds of thousands of hip hip albums out there? That is the question I was getting ready to answer when I sat down to listen to the album for the first time and, to be honest, on that first listen I was not that impressed (I was tired and was caught off guard by the sound...my fault). But then as I listened more closely (read: actually paid attention to the music) I noticed something; this album was very good and actually does separate itself from most hip hop out there. No, I don't mean because of Jesse Abraham being a Jewish MC that questions the concept of God or any of the stuff on the surface. It is the sound of the album, the ability to craft infectious songs with meaningful lyrics that reference a wide variety of subjects while carefully selecting what vocabulary to use. You find out rather quickly (the first track actually) that Jesse has a love for words, which becomes evident as the album goes on. In reality it is more than just his love of words, it is his love and search for knowledge that comes out in this album

This is a true artist and he's made a real album here!! Well-rounded, thoughtful, witty and crazy creative. The beats are slammin and his lyrics are bananas!! One of the best albums i've heard this year. JA is the TRUTH!!!