90059 by Jay Rock

Over the last few years, Top Dawg Entertainment has been one of the most important labels in the hip-hop genre, as it's helped stars like Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and more achieve tons of mainstream exposure. However, since the label's rise to fame, it's been LA based rapper Jay Rock who has failed to reach that same level of success that his other three Black Hippy collective members have achieved. That can be in large part due to the fact that in his career that stretches back to over a decade ago, Rock has released just one full-length album, 2011's Follow Me Home, and while it was a solid release, it's been completely forgotten about thanks to the albums his label mates have released. 

Without a doubt, this new album was Jay Rock's big chance to prove that he is able to deliver on the same level of his label mates. At 30 years old, it may also be his last chance to do so before it's too late. With that being said, there are tons of rappers who don't come across their sound until later in their career, for example Danny Brown didn't release his breakout project XXX until the age of 30, and has went on to, in my opinion at least, be one of the more consistent mainstream rappers out. Jay Rock was able to prove a bit of his skill on the singles released for the album, but it wasn't until the third single, Gumbo, which was released in early August, that Jay was able to get me truly hyped for his newest project.

On 90059, Jay Rock does not attempt to completely overturn his style, as his sound is still a very much 'gangsta' rap west-coast influenced sound. He does however rely on a bit of a different production style than what we've seen him use in the past, and he does a great job of balancing his trade-mark story telling ability with a good amount of word play and braggadocios lyrics on the very laid back production throughout the track listing. Rock kicks the project off with a hard-hitting lyrical display on Necessary, a track that features an instrumental reminiscent of something you'd find on an early 2000's G-Unit album. Near the end of the project, Jay Rock does lean a little bit more on his story telling ability, especially on the tenth track Money Trees Deuce (an ode to the Kendrick Lamar song he featured on back in 2012) where he discusses friends trying to hold him back on his road to success. Even though the topic matter is serious, Jay Rock rides the line between topical rap and boasting, as he avoids getting too serious on any of his cuts. 

The features on the album are, of course, in large part done by TDE label members. The only non-TDE affiliated artists who pop up in the track listing are Inglewood based singer-songwriter SiR (who I first heard of on TiRon & Ayomari's Wonderful Prelude) and veteran hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes, who provides a very unique spin on the track Fly On The Wall, where he essentially spends his verse both praising and advising Jay Rock on hip-hop culture. While it isn't Busta Rhymes' best verse, it serves the purpose of further establishing Jay Rock as a rapper who is respected in the rap community. 

It's the TDE features however, that I was most excited for. We get a feature by 24 year old emcee Isaiah Rashad on Wanna Ride, and while he doesn't get the chance to drop a verse of his own, he does provide an excellent hook on the laid back beat. We also see a feature from singer SZA on the track Easy Bake that also features Kendrick Lamar. While the track is easily my least favorite cut on the album, she does do a fairly good job of providing a nicely sung verse that helps the instrumental transition into track's outro. Lastly, we get a rare Black Hippy collaboration on the song Vice City. Kendrick Lamar takes the lead on the track as he opens it up and also lends his voice to the hook. The production is fairly sparse which allows the focus to lay on the lyrical content that the four-piece rap collective provide. While the unique flow that the rappers use takes a couple of listens to get used to, it certainly is something different, which all four rappers aim to do on a constant basis. The only downside to this feature is that Jay Rock's verse is easily the most forgettable of the four, something that happens seemingly every time the group gets together. 

That leads into one of my complaints of the album, which is Jay Rock's inability to stand out on tracks that feature TDE members. Even on Wanna Ride, a track where Isaiah Rashad only sings the chorus, I find myself paying more attention to him than to Jay Rock. I'm not sure what it is that makes it so hard for Rock to stand out on a track with features, but it's a problem that's occurred time and time again ever since his signing to Top Dawg Entertainment. I also feel as if Rock will continue to be overlooked because of his lack of a clear cut "style." While Kendrick is known for his lyricism and ability to create conceptual story based tracks, Q has a gift for making very accessible party tracks, and Ab-Soul has established himself due to his unique lyrical approach and delivery. Meanwhile, Jay Rock doesn't seem to stand out in any specific way.

Still, those things don't take away from the experience of listening to 90059 too much, as it does come together as a very good listening experience. I do still believe Jay Rock will be the most overlooked member of the core four of TDE, but at least now he has delivered a major label project that proves he's worth a mention when discussing the artists on what is, as I mentioned, perhaps hip-hop's most important label.  

Rating: B+

Favorite Tracks: Necessary, Gumbo, Vice City, Fly on the Wall, Money Trees Deuce

Least Favorite Track: Easy Bake, The Message