Albums Jay Electronica - A Written Testimony (Discussion Thread)

[ShaDynasty]

I love the production.

 

[Ziggiy]

Man i’m so happy this album is number 1 on itunes. Hope it hits number 1 overall on the charts next week.


REAL LYRICS ARE BACK! THATS RIGHT I SAID IT!



I hope Nas, Kendrick, The Roots, and J.Cole go EXTRA hard this year. I wanna see a fukking lyrical onslaught in 2020

 

[[Something Cool]]

It’s sounds like Madlib produced this. Was that the sound they were going for? It worked for Bandana. They have good chemistry and I liked the old school rap duo back and forth structure they set up. Since I liked 6 of the 10 records, it’s a 6/10 haha

 

[PlayerNinety_Nine]

It’s sounds like Madlib produced this. Was that the sound they were going for? It worked for Bandana. I like 6 of the 10 records, so 6/10 haha

As a Madlib stan, I thought this too.

The game in general needs to give GOATis his flowers, man. 'Nasir' lowkey sounded like his work to me, too. Just Blaze even had 'Dear Moleskine' where he sounded like he was paying homage to him, IMO.

 

[[Something Cool]]

As a Madlib stan, I thought this too.

The game in general needs to give GOATis his flowers, man. 'Nasir' lowkey sounded like his work to me, too. Just Blaze even had 'Dear Moleskine' where he sounded like he was paying homage to him, IMO.

Word, on second listen Jay Elec’s flow on Never Ending Story remind me of Moleskine. Plus check it, you can transition Never Ending Story right into Crime Pays from Bandana. Similar sound.

 

[Sonic Boom of the South]

nikka only album ain't even his own full album

That's some lazy New Orleans shyt for real

 

[PlayerNinety_Nine]

Word, on second listen Jay Elec’s flow on Never Ending Story remind me of Moleskine. Plus check it, you can transition Never Ending Story right into Crime Pays from Bandana. Similar sound.

You can do it with 'Flux Capacitor' and 'Massage Seats' too

 

[Insensitive]

Have been looking at the thread, see Nas mentioned a lot, not sure why, as he's not really relevant to the album.

Must be cause Jay-Z is on it? When are people gonna get over this shyt? Nas and Jay-Z and Jay Electronica cool now lol, does everything always have to be Nas vs Jay-Z? Forever? Lol.

I have Nas way ahead of Jay Electronia simply for the fact his body of work is much deeper, Nas is also very creative and conceptual in his storytelling which gives him an edge.

To me Nas can still spit at an elite level and is still great, I do feel this album is better than Nasir and The Lost Tapes 2 though, probably cause those had some weaker songs, this has none to me. The last Nas album I felt was as good or better than this was Distant Relatives which was phenomenal.

I'm a fan of Killah Priest too but to say Jay Electronica is just a weaker copy of Killah Priest is false and normally from people with a lack of understanding of the craft and science. Killah Priest is probably more metaphorical and metaphyiscal which is why some may feel he is deeper, that's a reasonable perspective and opinion, but Jay Electronica I'd certainly say has a more flavourful delivery and a stronger voice and vocal presence.

Jay Elec has a thickness in his voice that reminds me a bit of Biggie but then he can hit you on an emotional level similar to a Pac so it's almost a combination of both but that's to simplify it.

Jay Elect's lyrics can be very potent, the way he constructs his shyt is designed to be potent and hit the listener, it's a different intent, but they are different artists.

There's a lot that can be said, but we can get into it, a lot of the world is on lockdown because of Corona Virus so a good time to discuss some Hip Hop, and thankfully this album is the type of album that's worth discussing.

There's some lyrics and content from Jay Electronica on this that are undeniable greatness.

Another point before posting this, the album isn't for everyone because everybody isn't gonna get it. There's lines and references that will go over a lot of people's heads but if you know them it makes it resonate even more.

Many people are feeling different songs on the album, A.P.I.D.T.A is unfortunately a situation many have gone through and they did it well, it's almost genius the way Jay Elec done that, even when he does the shyt where it feels like he cracks up in it. The imagery is also really on point.

A lot of people I know are stuck on the album now and are all feeling it, only criticism I've heard really is online or people with agendas for whatever reason and went into it with a preconceived mindstate and with skepticism, for whatever reason. I'm sure some may genuinely not feel it, but a lot have clear agendas, normally some petty thing about competing with their favourite artists and jealously which is a shame for an adult to have that mentality. All I know is I'm really feeling it and that's all that matters to me.

As usual we've got similar opinions on this.

 

[nahnah]

Really enjoying this album

 

[The Ruler 09]

I love the production.

Same, a strong point to me, production reminds me a bit of Watch The Throne on some songs, but album better overall with better content and lyrics.

 

[JordanWearinThe45]

Nah. This ain’t it. Mad disappointed.

That nicca Jay Elec said “I’m hot like a tamale”



I wait 24,875,865 days for a Jay Elec album and get 30 minutes of Jay-Z overshadowing him. Plus there is no continuity on this. This can’t be life.

 

[darealvelle]

That samiyam beat is so disgusting. Matter a fact all three of those beats are nasty and classics within their discographies. Unfortunate flux capacitor sounded nothing like them imo

I wasnt saying it was similar to those beats, it just sound like something that those artist would produce thats all.

 

[Cladyclad]

nikka only album ain't even his own full album

That's some lazy New Orleans shyt for real

In this case. It’s boss shyt. Dude got his debut album that should have happened 10 years ago with Jay Z all through that bytch. Hov verses were bargain bin prices more than likely if Elect had to pay at all. To me this is the illest chess move in hip hop history. This shyt guaranteed his album was gon move the needle

 

[verbaltelekinesis]

I REALLY fukk with this album!!!

Hopefully this will get Elect to let more verses go and stop chasing impossible heights of perfection.

I will say, I want a full album of just Jay. He needs to claim his rightful spot in the top 5.

 

[Somebody]

Have been looking at the thread, see Nas mentioned a lot, not sure why, as he's not really relevant to the album.

Must be cause Jay-Z is on it? When are people gonna get over this shyt? Nas and Jay-Z and Jay Electronica cool now lol, does everything always have to be Nas vs Jay-Z? Forever? Lol.

I have Nas way ahead of Jay Electronia simply for the fact his body of work is much deeper, Nas is also very creative and conceptual in his storytelling which gives him an edge.

To me Nas can still spit at an elite level and is still great, I do feel this album is better than Nasir and The Lost Tapes 2 though, probably cause those had some weaker songs, this has none to me. The last Nas album I felt was as good or better than this was Distant Relatives which was phenomenal.

I'm a fan of Killah Priest too but to say Jay Electronica is just a weaker copy of Killah Priest is false and normally from people with a lack of understanding of the craft and science. Killah Priest is probably more metaphorical and metaphyiscal which is why some may feel he is deeper, that's a reasonable perspective and opinion, but Jay Electronica I'd certainly say has a more flavourful delivery and a stronger voice and vocal presence.

Jay Elec has a thickness in his voice that reminds me a bit of Biggie but then he can hit you on an emotional level similar to a Pac so it's almost a combination of both but that's to simplify it.

Jay Elect's lyrics can be very potent, the way he constructs his shyt is designed to be potent and hit the listener, it's a different intent, but they are different artists.

There's a lot that can be said, but we can get into it, a lot of the world is on lockdown because of Corona Virus so a good time to discuss some Hip Hop, and thankfully this album is the type of album that's worth discussing.

There's some lyrics and content from Jay Electronica on this that are undeniable greatness.

Another point before posting this, the album isn't for everyone because everybody isn't gonna get it. There's lines and references that will go over a lot of people's heads but if you know them it makes it resonate even more.

Many people are feeling different songs on the album, A.P.I.D.T.A is unfortunately a situation many have gone through and they did it well, it's almost genius the way Jay Elec done that, even when he does the shyt where it feels like he cracks up in it. The imagery is also really on point.

A lot of people I know are stuck on the album now and are all feeling it, only criticism I've heard really is online or people with agendas for whatever reason and went into it with a preconceived mindstate and with skepticism, for whatever reason. I'm sure some may genuinely not feel it, but a lot have clear agendas, normally some petty thing about competing with their favourite artists and jealously which is a shame for an adult to have that mentality. All I know is I'm really feeling it and that's all that matters to me.

unfortunately I didn't like the album. at all (first listen tho). it was like the jay and bey joint. two names I love that just didn't connect. when jay, along with stic.man worked on untitled with nas, I even felt like nas watered down jay's depth. it still was a great album. but when jigga waters down, its a different kind of water.

the jay elec I know has rare and deep talking points. here, it just seemed like a collection of rhymes, albeit personal, with some references to who jay elec was rather than being jay elec. kinda like that jay elec muslim flow reference on bam off 444. what I'm saying basically is I miss the grassy knoll raps, cause that's how I relate to jay elec.

when I was younger and looking for a community that would satisfy the longing in my mind, I thought I found it with some conspiracy kubrick type circles.

then one day I realized that my blackness keeps me from feeling at home in those circles, because it was the crux of my identity and my suspicions about it.

then jay elec dropped. he came wit the grassy knoll bars that let me know that things aren't what they seem, and it was also from a black perspective. he wasn't using slick references to pull punches like the pop stars of his ilk do, namely jigga and nas. he didn't care about making the wider audience comfortable.

but then the guys who do grabbed him up, basically jigga and nas. I can hear jigga and elec arguing throughout the album.

"nah, u can't put that verse about the government in there. I work with those ppl"

"well, im not doing it without at least the noi intro"

off first listen, jigga won the argument. its an album full of pulled punches, so much so that Paul Rosenberg had to run back to jay old shyt to take offense to the noi shyt on the album. sure, its basically the same line on the album, but the fact that Paulad went back says a lot.

it saddens me, because killah priest is out of touch emotionally and musically, but his identity is written in stone. he is who he is. the dude that dropped heavy mental.

but jay got the emotion behind him. it was there on this album, but the things that anchor that emotion wasn't.

and nikkas like chance the rapper and frank ocean wear jay elec's influence like how fukk nikkas wear locs. just a flavor of the moment for nikkas with no real identity.

I can see kanye struggle to keep the Faith. I don't think his evangelist gimmick is sustainable, but I could be wrong. still, I got JIK from him. Selah is like killah priest and jay elec making innovative pop raps, so it got me.

I'll give the album another listen of course, but something was missing. jigga wanted him to take some pop risks, and normally im actually on the side of the a&rs to tell u the truth.

take summer walker's album. I can tell by the song "fun girl" that she wanted to give us 15 jazmin sullivan songs. but the sony a&rs told her ass to lay off the bytchassness and give us modern r&b raps, and it worked. unless they don't give her any freedom for the remainder of her career, that might be her best album ever.

so I usually feel like a&rs are correct sometimes. not this time. u should just let jay be jay. this is one guy we don't need autotune raps from (they had him try it on a single before this album). I'd much rather him to have dropped with kanye's 7 album run cause kanye would have at least given him freedom while trying to get a "bonjour" out of him. and jay elec can produce, in some ways better than kanye, so we would have gotten at least one of those elegant no drum pieces with some grassy knoll raps