What’s up dudes? JMJ is back after a month away! Just wanted to have a lot of material to discuss with you all. Ever since getting YouTube to Text I’ve been transcribing a lot of songs while going back to old songs I transcribed since 2021 to go over anything I was struggling to understand or didn’t feel right. Now here are some songs I’ve transcribed in the last few weeks:
Circles (Str8jaket feat. Lyte)
Str8jaket is an amazing artist in the Juggalo underground Michigan hiphop scene and his pen game has improved since signing to Monstar Entertainment, run by frequent collaborator and fellow bar spitter Lyte, who is featured on this fresh cut!
This song was touted as the best collab these two have done together and it did not disappoint. Each of this duo reflects on being stuck in cyclical “circles” of the trauma and pain they have endured throughout their lives. Str8jaket reflects on betrayal with these lines:
“Over and over again, they be the realest ones lookin’ in disgust when I was lookin’ out
You was hangin’ tough, but then when I lost it all, you was busy, huh?
Thought that I wouldn’t notice that I had opponents even in my corner
‘Til they sent the coroner, I done been there for you
Now it’s over for a minute ’cause I sorta got a new disorder
I don’t know who to trust, been thinkin’ a lot these days”
Lyte’s verse shows he’s willing to break this cycle:
“But we proceedin’, exceedin’ your expectations, now you steamin’ inside (Ha ha ha ha!)
No reason to lie, I’m leavin’ them dry, look at we beamin’, you dreamin’ to ride (Rush!)
It’s even this time, listen my guy, here’s some advice to apply
I’m givin’ it out, no livin’ in doubt, no spinnin’ around, they want a piece of the pie”
I love deeply powerful songs like this which show that even the most skilled lyricists started out dealing with pain and struggle before success.
Battle Scars (Pharaoh Overlords) (Vinnie Paz feat. AOTP)
I also enjoyed this track because this is the first taste of Vinnie Paz’s new project “God Sent Vengeance” coming April 25! For this banger he recruited his old gang of Army of the Pharaohs consisting of Apathy, Celph Titled, Reef The Lost Cauze, Esoteric, and Outerspace (Planetary x Crypt The Warchild!) Each MC delivers tons of authentic bars and punchlines throughout this 5-minute posse cut. These are my favorite bars:
“From the place where them real life zombies be movin’
Philly goofy, shit a movie, we survivin’ through it” – Planetary
Here Planetary describes how Philadelphia has been severely affected by the drug “Tranq” and how he is lucky to have not been affected.
“I brought the Gory Oratory, now your squad fatal
You lack the skill and we have the bills like Jerod Mayo” – Esoteric
Esoteric here references AOTP’s classic song Gory Oratory while saying that all opposition will be defeated while referencing Jerod Mayo, the coach of the Buffalo Bills! I love punch lines that reference sport teams!
“Leave your whole city haunted like aftermath of atomic
Nuclear winter just started, my raps are fuckin’ retarded
Bars deeper than the barnacles on shipwrecks” – Apathy
Apathy flexes his prowess with bars in this one, as does Celph Titled with:
“Fuck up your home loan with Rocket Mortgage
When these rocket coordinates hit your front door, it get morbid
Swell your dome, try to disguise the attack (Can’t hide it!)
But you gon’ look like Erykah Badu in one of them stupid-ass hats”
Apathy & Celph Titled showcase their typical violent imagery in these bars, but Celph Titled does it better with his bars.
In The Void (Bukshot & Kung Fu Vampire)
For our final song, these are two artists who I have come to love throughout the decade. While Bukshot comes from Louisville, KFV comes from San Jose. These two have collaborated multiple times over the years and are preparing to drop their second project as Double Dragon, Big Trouble with Double Dragon, in April! They were even kind enough to give us a sneak preview with “In The Void” on 3/7!
Kung Fu Vampire starts this joint off right with his rapid-fire lyricism:
“Drop your jaw and you gon’ need a napkin, out in Japan, I’m really rappin’ (Rappin’)
I’ll meet you at the crossroads in an Ecosphere in a million years
I’m still slappin’ cheeks and these not cleats, the feet beneath the streets, got evil in me
The sting of Gen Z, the bees all envy, coexisting in the rules and I bend ’em”
While Bukshot demonstrates his underground wickedness laden with gangster influences:
“Plus I’m dangerous, spit bars out like lasers
Evaporate these fakers, survival is wasted (Is wasted)
Peep the beat I’m on, Seven made, heat is on
Spittin’ like I’m eatin’ bombs, creepin’ like a Peepin’ Tom (Like a Peepin’ Tom)
It’s The Year of The Dragon, rappers’ slackin’ (Rappers’ slackin’)
Step into the circle (into the circle), I guarantee they’re slappin’ (Guarantee they’re slappin’)”
Both artists show that they did not come to play and will annihilate anyone that thinks they are on their level!
I have discovered a whole slew of new and old songs these last few weeks. These are my top three signs of interest! See you next week! Jam Master Jack over and out!
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