Another solid release from J...
5
By FloorGeneral
Been a fan of J-Live for quite awhile now. I own all of his stuff, and he's long been one of my favorite MC's. This is yet another solid addition to his impressive body of work.
It's not his best, but that can be excused as his best (either All of the Above, or The Best Part...too tough to choose) is some of the best Hip-Hop has to offer. Production here is hit or miss (always the main criticism in his releases), but, as usual, the lyrics are why you're here. Not too many ppl around that can compare to J's intelligence and wordplay, and he hasn't lost a step. This caught me by surprise, as I had no idea he was releasing a new album. Good surprise though, and it'll be added to my listening rotation for the forseeable future.
Also, to clear a couple things up: one reviewer referred to "them" and mentioned "3 MC's". Maybe you're confused by the cover, but J-Live is one man, and all 3 images on the cover are him. There is no group. He's a solo MC.
Also, to the lone negative reviewer (as of today, 9/30) that complained about "big words" and the "90's" sound...um, how exactly did you end up here? For those that don't know, J was an English Major in college, and later taught the same subject. He has always brought intelligence to his rhymes, and his sound just screams "Underground". So, yes, you're basically correct when you say he uses "big words" at times, and has a somewhat "90's" feel to his music. The problem is that's exactly what draws most ppl to J, and is never looked at as a negative. To each his own though. He's a different breed of MC. Stick with Wayne, and Ross, and all these other simple sounding rappers. Most ppl don't like having to actually listen or pay attention to the lyrics. If they did, rappers like J-Live would be household names. Oh well...it is what it is.
