Collaborative strength at its most compelling, Conscience Rhyme capture attention with strong grooves and character, throughout the infectious and stylishly captivating album Jacqui’s Son.
Introducing things on a defiant high, Around My Way blends quirky yet simple production and melodic stylings, with fast-paced and smartly-framed bars, resulting in a colourful hip hop edge that’s quick to engage with and impress its audience.
Creative freedom and intelligent writing continues to stand tall throughout these ten original tracks, making Jacqui’s Son a brilliantly refreshing, provocative and thoughtful project; one that’s all at once a joy to listen to and a deeply moving experience that leaves a sense of wonder and intrigue.
I’m A Pro is equally catchy and even inspiring, with that retro scratch set-up and cleanly-mixed vocals to continue the album’s integrity and depth. The story grips in a new way, reaching out to connect for its honesty and the painful ache of reality united with the optimism of a colourful backdrop and satisfying hook resolve.
While there’s a notable presence of pop-style writing and production to these tracks, there’s also a distinct level of purpose and struggle to many. This means it’s easy to lose yourself to the vibe, but the further in you delve, and the more times you revisit, the greater the impact of the lyrics – as they increasingly pierce through this often joyful exterior. It’s powerful, and songs like The Prey bring things back to the pure darkness of much of the work, to remind us of that very quality.
Other highlights include the hypnotic and relentless rhythm of the bars and the call-and-response style underlined throughout Badlands II, as well as the contrastingly mellow scenery and storytelling of Panhandles. Then there’s the quickness and harsh reality of My America, ambient yet hard-hitting in equal parts, and not the first time the likes of a broadly influential Outkast have come to mind.
Of course, there’s an overall concept to the album, and the voicemail introduction of each track reinforces this with more and more weight as the project evolves. It’s all part of this unique process, and again, with each revisit we get a little more clarity as to what it’s all about.
Heaven (Mama Said) helps drive things along somewhat at the penultimate moment, but really this is an album deserving of multiple streams; inviting the listener to continuously lose themselves within the music, and rewarding them with some new detail or trait in every case.
Jacqui’s Son is fascinating, enjoyable yet also loaded with authenticity, soul, and originality. Absolutely worth knowing about if you’re a fan of sharp, contemplative and creative hip hop.
Download or stream Jacqui’s Son here. Check out Conscience Rhyme on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
