Even if you are an only child, having someone in your life that plays the role of a big brother can make a substantial impact on who you become as a person. And when it comes to the TDE imprint — the now infamous indie label that has been grinding for over a decade — Jay Rock has been the man to take on that position over recent years. Even though Jay Rock is only 30 years old, his veteran reputation precedes itself with the Watts emcee being the first TDE member to make a dent in the industry, being best known for the commercial success of “All My Life (In The Ghetto)”, a top single featuring Lil Wayne and will.i.am. Jay Rock’s debut album Follow Me Home was released in 2011 and fans of the rugged West Coast bulldog have had to wait until 2015 for a follow-up project, mainly due to the success of the Black Hippy super-group and a willing patience to master his craft while waiting his turn in the collective album cycle. 90059 is the long awaited sophomore effort from Jay Rock and although the album won’t receive the same level of attention as a Kendrick Lamar or ScHoolboy Q release, Rock has paid his dues and deserves much credit for creating a body of work that is true to his artistic identity while also playing outside of the box.
Over the past few years, Jay Rock has become revered for his standout guest verses on tracks such as “Money Trees” and “Black Lip Bastard”. While Rock has proved his ability to steal the show amongst top lyrical talent, 90059 is not an album reliant on that skill. The backbone of 90059 is exactly what one may expect from the title, a collection of West Coast rooted records which provide a vivid depiction of Jay Rock’s life as a native of the dangerous Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles. Jay Rock is not hesitant to embrace the role of the underdog as displayed on the bassline-heavy intro track “Necessary” and the story that begins to unfold is one of doing whatever it takes to survive. And while this theme maintains a relatively consistent presence throughout the album, it is the variety of new cadences used by Jay Rock which keeps the listeners on their toes, perhaps even catching the audience off guard at some points. The most prominent example of this is heard on title track “90059”, a dizzying record which features Rock taking on the alter ego of Lance Skiiiwalker as he delivers a heavily ODB influenced performance fueled by bars which describe the harsh realities of the street life. This experimental approach is riskier than one may think since many fans of Jay Rock would prefer him to stick to his straightforward yet powerful flow, but taking these sorts of chances proves to help more than it hurts on the album.
Jay Rock has always been a steady emcee and he steers his own ship over the course of 90059. However, the tracks on the LP that prove to stand out the most are the collaborations, particularly the ones with his TDE teammates. The back-and-forth barrage of bars between Jay Rock and Kendrick Lamar over the knocking bounce of “Easy Bake” blares through the speakers with intensity while TDE songstress SZA brings some sexiness to the upbeat second half of the track, contrasting nicely with its initially dark mood. Other standout TDE moments include Isaiah Rashad’s Southern smoked hook on “Wanna Ride” as well as the heavily anticipated posse cut “Vice City”, an epic record which features Rock, K Dot, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q flexing over a booming piece of production courtesy of Cardo and Yung Exclusive. While the rap community can debate who took the W with their verse (Groovy Q is the popular choice), Jay Rock should be credited for bringing his crew together to contribute to the making of 90059 in a well-executed fashion.
90059 is not the type of album that is going to amaze you with its star power or content conducive to endless social media bantering. This is because Jay Rock is not a flashy artist and he doesn’t pretend to be on this body of work. However, Rocks hits on a several different themes throughout the 11 song collection which provide listeners with an honest account of his gang affiliated past and how he has reached his respected status in the game. From touching on his relationships with women (“The Ways” & “Telegram”), reflecting on his recent acclaim (“Money Trees Deuce”), to using a home cooked meal as a metaphor for bringing fresh flavor into his style (“Gumbo”), Jay Rock gives us his all on 90059 and he commands respect with every line. Songs such as the introspective “Fly On The Wall”, which features a notable guest verse from Busta Rhymes, showcases Jay Rock’s attention to detail when it comes to describing the tough conditions of his environment. 90059 may not contain the memorable, trendy qualities that are necessary to keep people’s attention in today’s musical climate, but it is an album steadfast in its purpose and after years of taking a backseat on behalf of TDE’s rising talents, Jay Rock can take pride in his shining moment and in knowing that he paved his own path.
Repeatable: “Vice City”, “Money Trees Deuce”
Skippable: “Telegram (Going Krazy)”
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