Man. What a killer collaboration to have for 2025. Both these men, in their own paths, have created shockwaves that have ripped to shift the culture itself, and now coming together under one mind is something that the underground will be talking about for months, believe that!
This is the brand-new album by MC Jamil Honesty and Producer JrSwiftz! Together, they drop ten tracks with the likes of
-Dj Grazzhoppa
-Jay Royale
-Griot Noy
-Awon
-Kev Brown
-Blu
And -DJ Illogik providing cuts on the last joint!
And with this incredible guest roster, these two men create something that’s equal parts nostalgic and fresh!
To start with the production, JR brings back that quality control of the gritty 90s and feels like he’s paying homage to the era of
-Mobb Deep
-Gang Starr
-The Roots, etc., with the larger-than-life sonic expressions with cinematic instrumentation and often times skeletal and stripped-back beats that emphasise the ‘less is more’ aspect to create breathtaking music where you can identify each element in the song without it sounding messy or overwhelming!
The perfect song that showcases this theory is ‘Real Rap’. I love this track because it’s so minimal yet immersive! You’ve got those infectious drum beats with those light yet powerful keys and those raw scratches by Grazzhopa to add the cherry on top!
Few ingredients but creates something special! That’s the mark of a true artist!
Even if we look at the track that follows it, ‘94 Nas’, and we hear more of that 90s East Coast wave of hard-hitting, gritty hip hop! You’ve got those thick bass lines, jazz-inspired chords, and heavy drums.
As the song name suggests, this is that old-school ‘Illmatic’ Nas era beat, and I love every second!
All this is to say that (in my opinion) JR is using beats to write an appreciation letter to the ones that came before and to let the world know that without them, there would be no Swiftz, and to me, that shit is powerful!
Now, onto the MC work. Jamil has been working to be one of the upper-class rappers in the game right now. He’s on everyone’s features, and when it comes to his own shit, he snaps twice as hard! Now, while under this legendary producer’s music, he’s out for blood!
On this album, he hasn’t sounded better! Just as JR is, Jamil is also inheriting his inner 90s and utilising the influences of the classics such as
-Nas
-Black Thought
-Guru
-Big L
-Rakim and more. He’s showcasing a combination of his own massive original talent and techniques and combining it with the love and admiration for the legends to help write his own passage in the appreciation letter that JR started.
I love Jamil on this! His pen game is sharp, his flow is smooth and fluent! His lyricism is complex and personal, and his in-depth detail in his bars makes him feel like a poet rather than an MC!
I’ve never heard him sound so prolific and passionate than he does here! It’s like he’s activated a new form or level that he’s never used before now. He’s channeling his inner avatar and letting the spirits of the forefathers run through him as he spits some of the best verses of his life!
I love how on the track ‘Tennis Filas’ he decided to almost close the record off with a verse battle against some of the current greats! It’s a further testament to his confidence and skills to choose these lyrical titans to rap alongside!
The energy of this album is honestly infectious. I feel like I’m transported back into the 90s where classic albums dropped on the weekly, back when quality control was key and respect was a given.
Trust me, this is an album you NEED to listen to!
https://jamilhonesty.bandcamp.com/album/m-e-m-o-i-r-s-2
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