Jaysaun is my best proof that Jay-Z is mediocre, as well as the first MC I play for hoodlum friends who accuse me of favoring white-boy art rap. Not only is the former Kreators ringleader and Special Teamz crewmember vocally and verbally superior to every hip-hop artist who gets mainstream burn, he’s also hardcore and ghetto-savvy, right down to the accurate drug references peppering his rhymes.
Although more of a mixtape spun with sharp original production than a proper album (that’s coming soon), Game of Breath is a provocative demonstration of an MC whose flow and cadence combination is unmatched in the game; dude sprays onomatopoetic shrapnel across “All on Ur Face” with the same emotion and aggressive nonchalance with which he rides through the tear-provoking tribulation “Close 2 Ur Soul.”
For more than a decade, Jaysaun has been a quintessential rapper’s rapper — which is half a shame, since his skill set is as commercially viable as it is lethal. But with DJ Revolution on his back, at least he’ll continue to reach underground aficionados who appreciate raw talent when we hear it.
