Time to add another banger to the BeatTheBrakes roster. This time the artist is Jus Legendary from the Left Coast, LA to be specific...my old home. And Jus does a brotha proud to twist those two fingers in the middle and throw it up in my current city of Atlanta, GA.
The album is called Distant Star and it retains that authentic hip hop aesthetic mixed with Jus's modern parlance...and his efforts make me unafraid of the future of music. After vomiting through Soulja Boi songs on the radio all day at work, I can come home and finally hear the unyielding creative ventures of underground MC's, which is what Jus Legendary is and what he projects through his leathery, rugged voice.
The intro starts with a beautiful soul sample creating a tranquil mood then when the applause stops and the beat drops, he rips into it like a beast pouncing on prey with shit like, "..hip hop big on the internet/mind is so infinite/shadowbox my silhouette.." Daaaaaamn! Jus's wordplay is magnificent. Even when talking about the ladies in "Cupcakin" he keeps that raw shit alive as the chunky drum break leads you into the song about him chatting up the chics. Like Eric B. and Rakim's "What's On Your Mind," it's about being flirty with the ladies and represents the fun aspects of his personality without losing his edge.
And then there is another gem on the album, possibly my favorite: Dope Beats Don't Cease, a joint with jazzy horn loops layered with perfectly compressed shakers that absolutely lives up to its name. Jus and his boy D-Rock easily glide over the beat. And although he lyrically paints a picture of the seemingly sullen city life, this one takes me back to the time when mc's gleefully spit rhymes about beats and life.
The overall tone of this album is indescribable. He's laid back at times, hardcore in others, in all, perpetual in his lyrical potency with a bit of West Coast swagger over dope ass beats that would make Dilla smile. Produced by Aspect 1. 'Nuff said. Check it out.
Distant Star
peace to my man Stephen Sletten for this!
Thoughts Of Dieing Minds Prod.
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