The day has FINALLY COME! The day that one of the iconic Monster Trio drops his sequel to one of the hardest projects from last year, ‘King’s Casino’, and now he’s come back to claim that top spot with undoubtedly one of the hardest EP’s you’ll hear, period! Let’s fucking go!
This is the brand-new EP by MC JJackpot and producer Koba Dera, and this consists of seven tracks with the likes of
-Snotty
-Mondo Slade
-Pro Dillinger
And with this insane list of MC’s to acquire their parts in this EP, we come on STRONG with seven absolute bangers!
Let’s talk about the MC work first. JJackpot, this man doesn’t know how to take an L. I reviewed most of these singles for this project, but it doesn’t make them any less exciting! What separates him from the rest (in my opinion) is the combination of his lyricism and his flow!
The flow, he has one of the most fluent and smooth deliveries I’ve heard. He’s like the modern-day Biggie/Method Man! It’s as if his wordplay glides across the instrumentals like a piece of grass in heavy wind, absolutely weightless and effortless in execution!
When he’s spitting his verses, the sharpness combined with the precision is something uncanny. He’s a master of the delivery; the fact he can be this smooth and still be this lyrically devastating is ridiculous. It’s obvious he must have studied those legends to inherit the same skills that they made famous!
I’ll tell you one thing, if I was a rapper and saw him record his verses in the studio, I’d be hesitant at best to continue due to his pure brilliance on the mic!
And his lyricism, he ain’t just smooth but he’s fucking vivid. Some of the bars he spits as if it’s nothing, whether he’s talking about SpongeBob or Lilo & Stitch or describing boss moves as a ‘maid man’, he makes everything he spits sound immersive and descriptive! It doesn’t matter what he talks about; he’s like a legendary author! One who can bring any topic or theme to life, and this EP is proof of his variety and verbal versatility!
Even though there are only seven tracks on here, it’s a lifetime for other rappers of pen game, rhyme schemes, bars, and sharp instincts.
The fact that he can stand with the incredible roster listed above is further proof of his talent! He ain’t putting just anyone on his project; he chose THE VERY BEST, and what’s most impressive is how well he holds his own. He just showed that he’s their equal and brother in arms. This is something I’ve known since his Casino album, but now the world can see what I’ve known since last year! Absolutely incredible effort!
Now, onto the production. Talk about a fucking GLOW UP! Not that he was bad before, but Koba has shown such an incredible levelling up that puts him in the upper echelon of the underground producers, and if he keeps up this consistency, he could be outdoing everyone, period.
Across these seven tracks, we hear Koba showcasing his trademark dark, gritty, and surreal instrumentals that are equal parts powerful and intense!
This score sounds like a dark walk and midnight across the hardest street you’ve ever seen! The sound of ‘danger,’ which is why it makes JJackpot’s verses that much more potent and hard!
I love the ‘Underground Hip-Hop Sopranos’ feel this album has. I hear how it inherits the same tension and theatrical drama from the show in its most serious moments. Each song represents a different major plot point from a show of that magnitude.
For example, track 7 -Last Draw sounds like Tony Soprano finally snapping after the horse died and has it already decided in his head that Ralphie has to die!
Or track 6 -Fold Or Bleed sounds like the dark and unforgiving soundtrack to the last moments of Adrianna. Someone who had a good heart but fucked up in the worst way possible, and she couldn’t run away from the consequences (in the form of Sal).
Of course this is up to personal interpretation but this is just how it felt to me. Listening to this EP reminded me of key moments from the show (or at least what it would be if they incorporated underground hip hop into them) and I feel the fact I can even envision this at all speaks volumes to the skill and technique of Koba to trigger the imagination to this level! Truly masterful work!
As I expected, this album didn’t disappoint! One of the most solid EP’s I’ve heard yet and the chemistry between JJackpot And Koba was absolutely perfect! Go peep it below now!
https://youtu.be/74yjbrjDJcg?si=Tc2SbHVyDnFkgroT
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