Song Review: "Eazy" by Jo-Kane

Song Review: "Eazy" by Jo-Kane
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11508881

If you're looking for that easy-going smooth East Coast rap, look no further.

Produced by Mista Perez (yes, the very same Mista Perez from "Be There" and "Time Is Slippin' Away"), Jo-Kane lights up an old-school feeling beat with ease.  While the substance behind the song is lacking, the flow here is really what keeps you interested all the way through.  The song, in that sense, seems to be of perfect length, allowing the listener to enjoy the ride while not tiring out before it's over.  Instead, it gives you incentive to hit the replay button a couple times.

In a nutshell, this is a switch from Jo-Kane's "new" style, a throwback if you will, to his roots.  The purpose, to let you know that Jo can still go in.  Punchline heavy with some clever lines throughout behind a flawless flow and delivery, Jo-Kane is pretty convincing that he hasn't gone anywhere and in fact is here to stay.

One thing I think detracts a bit from the track is the overdubs.  It does give a bit of an "amateur" feel to the track.  Many artists use this tactic to help add presence to their vocals and make their voices feel "alive."  This is all well and good, but there are better ways to accomplish this that add that presence while keeping the sound crisp and clean.

Still, this is certainly some "eazy" listening that you'll find yourself jamming to for a while if you decide to give it a few spins.  But, as always, don't take my word for it.  Listen below:

Song Review: Boss Pimpin' 2011

Song Review: "Boss Pimpin' 2011" by Boss Game & Jo-Kane
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11126595

Ok, so I'm not gonna lie:  "The Lady in My Life" is one of my favorite songs by Michael Jackson, so when this track dropped, I flipped out!  So I certainly appreciated not only the sample at the end of the track, but also the homage paid in the hook.

Speaking of which, the hook was actually very well done, so kudos to Boss Game here.  Boss Game transitions from singing/harmonizing to rapping just as well as anyone else I've heard.  I feel like the first verse could have been a bit longer to make the song flow a bit more naturally, but it still works.

Both Boss Game and Jo-Kane contribute with a pimpin'-themed verse with all the usual caveats covered.  Both ride the beat with ease, making the entire song an easy and smooth listen.  Jo-Kane has a smoother verse here than the first, which works here as it's a smooth way to end the song; the more excitable flow of Boss Game would have been a bit jarring if it came later in the track.

Overall, while the verses flow very well, I wouldn't say they contribute anything spectacular.  There weren't "stand-out bars," so to speak, but this wasn't that type of track.  The verses did their jobs tying the song together, staying on theme.  Neither is a let-down, and somehow actually complete the song as hook are typically used for.  In this case, though, the hooks stand out and really make the song for me.  They were performed well, and the beat had me rockin' the entire time.

So, a fun song here that's definitely worth a listen or few, and if you're a fan of Michael's version, you'll be groovin' to this in no time.

As always, don't take my word for it, hear it yourself:

N. Talekt

Week of 6/19: SoundClick.com Hip-Hop Top 5

[6/19] NT's SoundClick Top 5

Yet another tough week in the world of SoundClick music.

Short and sweet, this week's difference makers came down to creativity and execution. What were you reaching for with your work, and, just as importantly, did you achieve what you set out to accomplish?

That said, here's a solid selection of songs in this week's Top 5.

Chayse Maclair - Schools out for Summer (f/ Jane G33)
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10730518

Jo-Kane - Y'all Ain't Ready (f/ Boss Game)
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10725981

Mdot - Intro to Bright
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10120316

Hydden Ajenda - Werewolf
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10598260

Mr Showtime - Have A Nice Day :)
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10751328

Last week's #1-spot-holder Jane G33 assists Chayse Maclair, no stranger to that coveted position himself, in a creative and thought-provoking tale entitled "Schools out for Summer." Not too dissimilar from last week's #1, Chayse and Jane speak on the hardships faced, but with a twist in that the hardships are faced by a person also dealing with school, putting life into perspective and implying that maybe school isn't as important as the burden of daily life. It's a slow-building song, and I think Chayse gets saved by a growing beat on this one, as he finally kicked it up a notch as the beat drop, but dragged us to that point a bit. Still, he sets up the plot excellently and Jane comes in to crush the ending, again, from a perspective unique to her which makes the track that much more appealing.

After a short hiatus, Boss Game makes his return to the top 5 alongside Jo-Kane in the head-smashing anthem "Y'all Ain't Ready." This track definitely has the appropriate grit and bump to it, but the quality is a bit jarring at first. Looking past that, Jo-Kane kicks things off with a laid-back, confident verse, akin to Chayse's verse in that it's slow-building and a bit lulling. Perhaps Jo-Kane could have benefited from some ad-libs here. He then double-times it to finish off the verse and lead into a nice verse from Boss Game (notice how the ad-libs liven up the verse a bit, though Boss Game's delivery is commanding enough here that it's not as necessary as with the Jo-Kane verse). While the content is not as innovative, I felt like this song really fits the mood it was shooting for and reaches it's goals.

Newcomer Malcolm Lowe, AKA Mdot (no relation) enters the top 5 this week with "Intro to Bright," a cleverly put together track with an exciting delivery and some fun lines. Overall, it's a good introductory track and certainly makes you want to continue listening. The hook is interesting and the beat works with it's high-energy. Smart move with the acapella bits here, too. Major issue with this song is in terms of cleanliness. A few of the backups & ad-libs were off in an irritating way -- and yes, I know some were purposely off. Also, the beat does grind on you a bit after a while, but that said, the song is the appropriate length for that. Finally, while the hook is fun, it's not something that'll keep you coming back. Those factors keep this from the #2 spot this week, but certainly a strong, impressive showing and, to my points earlier, it does what it set out to do -- make you want to listen to the mixtape.

Hydden Ajenda enter the top 5 this week with a tale entitled "Werewolf." It's a metaphorical story about two hungry powerhouses coming together to slaughter. Maybe this could have been higher aside from the replay value effect, but I actually dig this track. The presence of the rappers here is pretty good, especially on the second verse, and it's a pretty creative song. While the delivery could use some cleanup & enunciation in places, I think, overall, this was well put together and came together to do what it attempted. While personal taste and "it" factor also keep this a little further down the list this week, this is a track that has potential to be pretty nice once polished. The story, emotion, and lyics are all there, just needs a bit of fine tuning to really get going.

Mr. Showtime and Yung Tek, familiar partners, collaborate yet again with "Have a Nice Day :)." The tough thing about this song is that it really is set up to be a banger, it just takes a swing and a miss. As I've been mentioning, setting out what you tried to accomplish is a bit part of getting your song right, and this fell a bit short. Perhaps it was the beat selection. On this, the hook was clearly important, but I could barely tell the difference between the hook and the verse. In addition, unlike past submissions, this hook was not well-written and it showed. Also, the verse and energy here are fine but they do not really build to the track, leaving the listener with a feeling of "that's it?" I felt high expectations for this song to deliver, especially with a banging beat like it had, but it fell a bit short. Still, good enough for this week's top 5, but going back to re-evaluate this song would be smart. Stick with your theme and clean up a bit, and this song is a true banger.

Hope you've enjoyed this week's top 5. Another nice set of songs to check out and a nice showcase of what SoundClick.com has to offer.

With a few major moves and holidays coming up soon, the Top 5 will be suspended indefinitely. Rest assured, it will be back, with a few changes, when things slow down a tad. In the meantime, check out any past week you missed and I'll catch you back here real soon.

N. Talekt

Featuring... Me Preview Trailer

With 17 tracks showcasing the skills of a variety of artists, "Featuring... Me" is bound to be a hit with something to everyone to enjoy. But don't just take my word for it -- while the mixtape drops this Tuesday, June 7, you can get your fix now with the YouTube preview trailer below. Enjoy!

Keep up to date with news and the release of the mixtape, as well as find out more about the artists on the mixtape at http://soundclick.com/NTalektFeaturingMe

N. Talekt

Week of 5/22: SoundClick.com Hip-Hop Top 5

[5/22] NT's SoundClick Top 5

Some talented artists presented a full selection of music for me to choose the top 5 tracks for the week, and while I'm confident with my choices, there were a few close calls with the order. While I will preface by saying that there could be a bit of quality improvement in most of the tracks in terms of mixing, I thoroughly enjoyed the product after looking past these issues.

However, I hope that the mix quality continues to improve in the coming weeks. Half of delivering a solid track is in the performance, the other half is in the presentation - the mix. While I understand the struggles of the Soundclick.com artist in the department, hence I see past it, keep in mind that this will throw off some listeners and hurt you when it comes to reaching out to a broader audience.

That said, here's a very solid top 5 for the week.

Chayse MacLair - Just Breathe (f/ Boss Game)
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10660166

Jonny B - Thank God I'm Me (f/ Jay Tres AKA Infinite Styles)
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10661196

Jo-Kane - Up In The Club
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=9790449

Valo - Honorable Mention
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=8513429

Aztek - Can You Feel Me?
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=10639145

The #1 and #2 spots really came down to quality, and the W in this department goes to Chayse Maclair's "Just Breathe." While it's not a track that will wow you with lyricism, for me, it has that all-elusive "it" factor. Chayse & his guest, Boss Game, deliver a very effective collaborate hook over a gritty, string-happy backdrop. Really, the beat is the grabber here and both Chayse and Boss deliver nicely, riding the beat both flawlessly and effortlessly. Chayse starts with a nice verse to get the song going and Boss Game finishes off nicely. A solid track that's enjoyable but, most importantly, has good enough quality to make my playlist.

Following that is an introspective effort from the ever-improving Jonny B, enlisting Infinite Styles to deliver a fire middle verse. This track has a very interesting beat and nice hook, something that I'm sure anyone can relate to and can be seen as somewhat of an anthem. It works well. Jonny delivers a couple of open and honest verses here that really let you into the man behind the mic. The main flaw in this track, though, comes apparent when the second verse drops. Hearing the clean, crisp quality of the second verse & hook highlight the poor mix of Jonny's verses. I'm not sure where the extra echo is coming from, but it seems like it was intended, as opposed to a poor mic. Lose that effect to make this more bearable. Or, maybe the backup vocals are off? Either way, get rid of it and this song get even better. Storytelling lyrics here are damn solid on all verse and are worth a few listens.

The #3 song is a very surprising song by Jo-Kane, "Up In The Club." From the onset of the song, I was a bit inclined to skip it, but I let it ride and was not disappointed. The beat is interesting, laid back, and very fitting for the overall track. Once the hook drops, though, I'm a bit disappointed. I thought it was just going to be a track talking about fine chicks in the club, which I've heard too many times to count. However, it's actually a quite complete story of a man visiting a strip club for the night, detailing what happens and, most focally, how it affects his relationship with his girlfriend. It concludes with an internal debate that shows all sides of the narrator, which I won't spoil here. What I'm getting at is that it's an interesting story that makes you want to continue to listen and find out where it goes. So, two spots to improve here. First, I was hoping for a third verse to really wrap the story. While I can guess what happens by the way the second verse ends, a third would have really cleaned it up and put a bow on this track. Second, of course, is mix quality. I have heard more recent work from Jo-Kane so I know this can improve. Regardless, a surprisingly tight track.

Valo slips a spot this week to #4 with the eerie yet ugly truth presented in "Honorable Mention." While I'm not really sure what the hook was talking about (sorry, didn't get it), the verses were solid lyrically. The stories were well-written and true to life, which I can appreciate. Listening to some other Valo tracks, you can tell he's certainly a good storyteller. The quality here wasn't bad, just turn up the vocals a tad. The actually delivery of the verses, though, was a bit muffled and hard to understand. I think it was speech clarity failing here more than the mix. It took a bit of effort to hear each word and decipher what was being said. Was great when I heard the words, but I shouldn't have to work to do so. It's hard to have both emotion and good delivery on a song like this, but it has to be done.

Wrapping up the top 5 this week is "Can You Feel Me?" by Aztek. What saved this track from slipping out of the top 5 was the beat and the hook. The verse were well-written and worked well with each other. It was definitely a track that had replay value, and whomever sung the hook did a great job with this. However, I can certainly tell this was done in two different studios. The auto-tune effect on the verse is overdone and does not match the artist. Actually, I think the song would sound just fine without any auto-tune because the artist has a deep voice. Typically, higher-pitched voices sound a bit better with those effects. Getting past the mix yields an interesting story of a borderline-psycho man who refuses to let go of his woman -- at any costs. The vibe from this track is also head-nodding and the smooth delivery of the verse works. Overall, a solid track worth the listens.

And there's your top 5 for the week. Certainly some songs here for your playlists despite some missteps with the mix quality in some tracks. I think the storytelling in a few of the songs was very well done and I'm digging the thought behind the words. I'm hoping for more of the same next week.

N. Talekt