Razor Tongue Media

Jaywop is Silk on New Album Suede

Jaywop has a new album called "Suede". Here he is pictured leaning against a painting of a forest while wearing a green hoodie jacket and hat.

Jaywop’s latest project Suede is smooth, silky, and succinct. Day One Entertainment artist Jaywop has spent the last few years slowly and surely growing his wave, with a string of singles and EP’s available on streaming platforms and a number of different mixtapes and freestyles posted to his SoundCloud as far back as 2016. This momentum has brought Jay to release his debut album in 2021.

Suede undoubtedly delivers on its title. From start to finish, Jay and featured artists ride over smooth, soulful, and sultry R&B instrumentals, that are possibly more likely to find their way onto a sex playlist as on to a party playlist.

The opening track “Ice Cold” doesn’t feature any rapping, but feels more like a loose collection of skits setting the mood for the listening experience. The listener is first greeted with instructions from Jaywop himself, telling you to “rip open a 5 pack of them backwoods- preferably Russian Cream- and go and roll you up something nice.” The intro track also features an Outkast reference and a monologue that sounds like it could have been a Chappelle show sketch. Someone, (presumably Jaywop) yells in an eccentric manner, “VELVET SHEETS! PINKY RINGS! SCENTED CANDLES N’ SHIT!” and other things to that effect. The track is an entertaining opener and effectively communicates that this project should be listened to as a means of relaxing and treating one’s self.

The first proper song, “Diamonds” features a bouncy and laid-back instrumental and a chorus contributed by fellow Californian Jade Amar. This track is followed by my personal favorite song on the project, “Gold” where Jaywop and guest Deante’ Hitchcock put their pen games on full display with lines like:

“You fell in love with the production like my name Mike Will”

“I know you walk that fine line between getting gas and not having drive”

“Now that shit changed and my name ring/and on my pinky is the same thing”

On the Track, “I Been” Jaywop busts out a more aggressive flow. The instrumental remains consistent with the sultry, wavy aesthetic of the rest of the project, but Jay rides the beat a lot harder than on other songs and seems to have a more snarled delivery. He seems to be less interested in coming off as laid back on this song and his vocal inflections are actually vaguely reminiscent of Ameer Vann of Brockhampton fame.

The lead single from the album, “Screen Door” features a really interesting change in vocal timber during Jay’s verse. In the middle of a line, he completely changes his vocal delivery and is convincing enough in the shift that when I first heard it I thought it was a featured artist on the track. The sudden change keeps you on your toes as a listener and shows off Jay’s versatility as a vocalist.

Tracking in at just over 20 minutes, Suede is a really enjoyable and promising debut album from Jaywop. I hope that future projects from him are a little lengthier, but after listening to some early mixtapes the improvement over the last few years is really undeniable. I look forward to seeing Jaywop’s art continue in this positive trajectory.

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