Jay Electronica Raps, Likes Nas
Jay Electronica – “Exhibit A (Transformations) (Final Clean)”
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from Fresh Cuts Vol. 3: Music By Guitar Center Employeees (Guitar Center? 2008)
Update: Final mix is up there now. Beat has a fuller/cleaner sound that one might expect from JB.
My favorite backpack rapper with my least favorite rap name returns after an extended hiatus. It’s probably smart of Jay, in an era of drop-a-freestyle-to-the-blogs-every-six-minute inbox cloggers, to be so conservative in what he releases. I’m pretty sure this track is the only official track we’ve heard from him since his press buzz really starting bubbling and he delayed (aborted?) the Act 3 ep that was scheduled for last xmas.
He could probably relax the Nas fetish just a little bit (Lil’ Elt, on the other hand…), but otherwise this is real solid. Just Blaze is on the boards for this and its a surprisingly mellow affair. I was hoping something closer to “I’m Talking To You” for their first collab but I’ll take this over that old “Numa Numa” bullshit any day.
(via nah right)
Tumblin' Erb
November 4th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Nice! I dont know if i consider him to backpack – he seems more of a superscientifical-I-rap-about-molecules emcee in the vein of Wu-Tang. For a while there, since the dude was so openly obsessed about ‘ ‘The Prestige’ – he did theme his album/mixtapes with the movie 3 acts after all – I almost bought that his disappearance after Act 2, as part of his Prestige-themed magic act. (For those who haven’t seen the movie, the second act involves disappearance, the 3rd and final act involves the disappeared entity coming back to wow the crowd). And there’s a line alluding to that on ‘Extra, Extra’ the track he spit over that Madlib ‘Dudley Perkins’ instrumental -”They all waiting in line for what comes next/Abra cadabra the crowd went deaf/ eyes went stage right/ but I went left” But yeah, I realize thats prbably reaching a bit, and he probably didnt have a great product to put out.
November 4th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
i’m a fiend for freshness, and he’s never really stood out as having a really unique or special flow to me. you’re right that he’s flowing like nas here, but it’s like a sad old version of nas, which is strange.
the lyrics do shine, though.
November 4th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Yeah, I say what I said before – lot of talent, not an annoying prick like every other backpack rapper on the world, but not nearly enough heart or passion. I like this a lot better than the stuff you posted from him the last time though.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Damn! I haven’t been feelin dude every time you posted him before, but this track is nice! Maybe it’s the flow like Nas, I’m a sucker for that flow…
November 5th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
ay noz mayn you heard enthing bout dat ‘look what you did to me II’ mayn? mayn i heard dat on the radio in H mayn but cant find dat on the net mayn
November 5th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
maynholdup is a legend
stole your shine
November 6th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
mayn thanks mayn. wut i mean mayn i i heard sum dj sayin he talk to ro and dat Look What You Did To Me II wuz in the works mayn, album not just a song mmayn
November 6th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Remember when the “final” version of this song was way less interesting than this version???
November 8th, 2008 at 11:38 am
jay electronica works at guitar center???????????
November 10th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Guitar Center has an interview with Blaze talking about Roland equipment, so there may be some connection there. And with Mike Chav, who had his first job there before becoming an engineer, and who is now working closely with Electronica, so there’s a connection there. Note in passing that, with so many connections to Nas, Mr. Porter provides the connection to another figure Electronica has been compared to (URB, Weiss), Pharoahe Monch.
Does he say “Clarence 13X Allah’s Rap City at Bellevue”? Because I would like that a lot.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
monsterBEAT……..REFRESHING FLOW.THANK U 4 THIS…really!