In my honest opinion, this man probably has one of the more underrated discographies of the past few years. One of those artists where the albums pop off but then not much buzz after the fact, and I want to try to change that!
Because he’s definitely got the aura and the character of a great artist with a release history that doesn’t miss, and this record is definitely no exception! Let’s talk about it!
Brand new album by John Jigg$ with 16 new tracks with the likes of
– The StandOuts
– jxkecregxn
– Kyo Itachi
– DJ Mickey Knox
– The Heretic Beats
– Swab on the beats
And
– M.O.U.F
– Rockwelz
– Streets Soprano on the mic, and together with this roster, John helps provide a larger-than-life listening experience that will stick with you for months to come!
Let’s start with the production. After listening to this record, it gave off a ‘biblical’ feel to the record. You’ve got these ‘BGGG’ series on the album that provide spiritual spoken passages that help bring the album back to a more meaningful and thought-provoking tone that I really loved!
It kind of reminded me of the DMX Prayer tracks he used to add at the end of his records but done with more elegance and grace!
Besides those moments, this record has a strong late 90’s or early 2000’s Hip Hop vibe to me. Certain tracks like ‘Stay Up’ remind me of a combination of a G Unit Meets T.I. track, with that busting, East Coast instrumentation with that early trap chorus that makes you want to groove and move your feet!
Then you have tracks like ‘The Memo’ which showcases a more orchestral and classical atmosphere with those sharp violin chords accompanying those hypnotic drums that help make this track stand out! Think early Common meets Gang Starr! Incorporating some surreal elements to create a track you’re bound to replay for weeks!
We can even look at the track ‘Suspects’ which has a more melodic and stripped-back inspiration. You’ve got those light and subtle vocal loops that are both angelic and powerful at the same time with those super soft drums!
Speaking of powerful, we have an incredible verse by Streets Soprano. One of the sharpest lyricists going in the underground and one who fits perfectly with this instrumentation!
All this to say that the variety of producers made for a great, cohesive structure (which isn’t easy to do with that many names) but I can report that it was done seemingly perfectly!
As far as John goes. As he always has, he’s bringing the flair and cinematic energy to the beat with his brand of vivid storytelling street poetry with equal parts introspective social commentary that keeps him a standout lyricist and MC!
Across the tracks, he doesn’t just sound like an MC, he sounds like a man on a mission. One whose job is to enlighten the masses using his extensive vocabulary, his nonsense, and powerful delivery and sharp pen game to structure verses that sound like scripture on the beat! As if you’re listening to a spiritual experience (as I mentioned above).
As someone who actually has a dad who is a church bishop, I know what strong conviction sounds like, and he has it in SPADES! He has fluent flow and a way with words where the world listens when he talks!
He doesn’t have many features on here (MC-wise), and that’s also part of the magic. He’s out there proving that you can rock a record without a party of company-bought features to try to pop the numbers up! Instead, having natural chemistry with the few you have to make for an eccentric and memorable display of music!
This was once again, a knock-out for John. As I’ve been supporting his work all year, he’s gotten stronger and stronger! Shoutout to all the producers and MC’s who helped make this album pure undeniable magic!
https://johnjiggs.bandcamp.com/album/by-gods-good-grace
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 