Jansport J "The 2 AM Tape"


The world of instrumental Hip Hop is vast and intriguing. Never do you really know what to expect from a beat tape. Sometimes it’s an emcees album stripped of the vocals, sometimes it’s a collection of beats composed from one source and sometimes it’s just a dope collection of music put out by a beat maker trying to be heard.

Jansport Js latest offering, The 2 AM Tape, would fall into that last category – but he added a slight twist:
“This project is an instrumental concept album revolving around all of the common characters, events, and thoughts that take place in the middle of the night...2 AM. The album provides a soundtrack to these events, and takes the listener through a journey through the goings on of 2 AM.”
Concept albums aren’t exactly common within Hip Hop. Sure you have the classics like anything Prince Paul lays down and Nas did a decent job last year (although giving up on the name hurts the overall theme) but by and large rappers seem more interested in just spitting rhymes. Jansport J doesn’t rhyme here but he does chop up some excellent samples and lay down some smooth and soulful bangers for you and I to enjoy, perhaps while up in the middle of the night.

Running with the late night theme the tape is a journey in sound from beginning to end – and you will want to let it ride front to back. Demonstrating a sufficient knowledge of sampling and beat composition many of Jansport’s offerings here will get you nodding along steadily wondering where he is going to take you next.

“The Sex” sees him flipping a great trumpet sound and layering in some sounds of pleasure for a fun song that might just get you and a friend in the mood. “The Munchies” follows and while it may seem like an abrupt theme change, its driving guitar lick and clever vocal sample (“and the trees are green”) will keep you entertained.

“The Anxiety” features some drums that could hit harder but the spooky sound effects (I don’t have a clue what he is sampling here) and synth work is perfect for that late night paranoia we can all suffer from. J also pulls in a number of vocal snippets from any number of places (TV, film, etc) that add to the ambience he is looking to deliver.

He loops up the Beatles for the excellent “The Break Up” and adds some great dusty drums underneath – again they may not thump like some would prefer, but I doubt anyone would complain as this track screams of a forgotten era of beat makers.

With The 2 AM Tape we are transported into Jansport Js late night world and on many occasions it’s probably not to far from the actions many a person has partaken in over the course of an evening. J proves he has the chops to make a hot beat but at the same time carry a project on his own – it’s not the second coming of Shadow, but he shows promise and I guarantee if you enjoy instrumental music this will get a replay or two from you. Maybe even in the middle of the night.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa "How Fly" Review

Image
Two of Hip Hop’s best kept secrets found each other, seemingly through a thick haze of weed smoke – stoners do tend to unite. While Curren$y did enjoy a brief moment of semi fame rolling with Lil' Wayne, he left for potentially greener pastures (addressed splendidly on “S.D.L”) and has been steadily on his grind with the Fly Society behind him. Wiz Khalifa on the other hand has been making a name for himself on both the blog scene and the tour circuit, although he hasn’t made it out to the North West yet. His hustle never did seem appreciated by Warner Brothers who saw a star years ago when they signed him, but sit on the shelf he did until finally gaining his freedom just over 2 weeks ago. Independent is the way to roll and these two obviously share more in common than a fetish for the greenery, fresh kicks, and designer labels. The album gives you much of what you would expect and some of what you might not have. The beats are rocking almost all the way through, some however le
Read more

Tunes From The Whip: Captain Murphy "Duality" (2012)

Image
Creative outlets shine when the world burns. There is no doubt that whatever the new normal turns out to be (news flash: we are already living it), as a society we will look back on the art created AC (After COVID) as a transition into new realms. Genius minds paid to stay home and cook up whatever inspiration they could muster. If you have been able to walk through this wild ride and not entirely succumb to the detrimental effects that isolation, fear and chaos all around can have on the mind, an applause is warranted. These last eighteen months have been hard. But they also have been an opportunity to explore different paths, change careers, reinvest in spiritual practices and connect once more with what it means to be productive for yourself. If we flashback into time to look at the world post Y2K as the towers fell, war erupted and banks collapsed there was a distinct feeling in the air that times had changed. Out of that chaos musicians around the world were concocting evolved sou
Read more

Ahmad Jamal "At The Top: Poinciana Revisited"

Image
The first time I heard Ahmad Jamal I didn’t know I was listening to him. Thanks to the Soul Brother Pete Rock I was first privy to the sounds comin’ from Jamal’s piano thanks to “The World is Yours” from Nas’ first classic, Illmatic . As I learned about samples and started diggin in the crates I began to see this piano player pop up regularly. They were cheap and I copped one. It was cool, nothin’ spectacular, no Pete Rock sample, but I new I would find it one day! In that time I have since picked up a few more Jamal LP’s (five to be exact) and the one thing to know about this man is when he is on, it’s some of the best Jazz one could listen to! At The Top: Poinciana Revisited is a perfect demonstration of why he deserves more respect and listening time from music fans all over the world. What has always inspired me in Jazz is the musician’s use of his instrument in combination with silence. The piano is one of the best ways to express this. Jamal will play and play and then disappear
Read more