The backyard patio at Alife in Manhattan's Lower East Side reeked of weed and anticipation as hundreds of fans patiently waited for Jay Rock to come out and share 90059, the culmination of four years of hard work. When he finally hopped up on the mini-stage in a white tee, he wasted no time getting into it. Over 45 minutes he shared eight of the album's eleven songs, loud enough to piss the neighbors off 10x over. The audience's general reaction to hearing the album was some aggressive head bobbing and approving murmuring. "This shit is hard."
Host Rob Markman tossed Jay Rock questions every couple songs and he gave the shuffling, humble answers of a star running back after a big win. "I just be staying in the studio working on my craft, "he said," because I [went] back and listened to my old shit, I’m like, 'damn, I can go harder than that.' It was just about making good records."
Jay Rock wanted the music do the talking and he emphasized repeatedly that the album would drop as soon as enough people pre-ordered it. In lieu of his own reflections on the music, here are three takeaways from the 90059 listening party.
"90059" has some top-notch production
Back in July, Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith posted a 30-second clip to Twitter of Jay Rock impressing the shit out of Kendrick Lamar with one of his latest creations. For weeks, one of the greatest unsolved mysteries on the internet was whether or not this song would appear on the album.
We can all breath a sigh of relief, because the first song Jay Rock played at the listening party was the same one from the clip. It is called "Necessary" and it is 90059's leadoff track.
It was an auspicious beginning that kicked off a series of flavorful beats, all of which were worthy of Jay Rock's spitfire delivery. "Wanna Ride" is a funky banger, with swung yet trappy hi hats and a swerving yet jazzy bass line. "The Ways" managed to incorporate massive 808s into what was overall a bit of a funereal vibe, like the sobering aftermath of a battle. "Telegram," which Jay Rock said is "about being in a relationship with some one that’s always insecure on some bullshit," basically features a more robust version of the "Dying From Thirst" beat. And "Vice City," the Black Hippy joint? We'll get to "Vice City"...
"Fly On The Wall": shades of Nas' "One Mic"
One of the albums' most intriguing features on paper is Busta Rhymes' on "Fly on the Wall." Jay Rock described how Busta ended up on the track: "We was in the studio where I was recording ["Fly on the Wall"] and I played the record for him and he went crazy. He’s like, 'man I want to get on that family.'"
The last song Jay Rock played at the event, "Fly on the Wall" eschews high-energy, booming 808s in favor of smooth, restrained electric piano that brings Rock's lyrics to the fore. Rock separates himself from his physical surroundings, which also has a temporal effect, an old-man-sitting-on-the-porch-in-the-summer-reflecting-back-on-life type vibe. The piano reverses half-way through, which only reinforces the impression that this song is told through the lens of memory. 90059 is not a hook-centric album, this record has one of its most memorable refrains: "When you stand still you can witness it all/ picture the vision from a fly on the wall."
Vice City
"Vice City" is one of the best Black Hippy joints to date
Most people agreed that "Vice City," a.k.a. 90059's Black Hippy joint, was the highlight of the listening party. It was so good that Rob Markman demanded they play it twice. "Run that shit back!!!" he yelled.
It's a song where all four members of Black Hippy manage to get on the same wavelength. Working over a pulsating, swirling, off-kilter Cardo beat, they feed off each other's energy and channel what might be described, in the best way possible, as an OG Maco-style off-the-beat flow.
Kendrick Lamar's verse on "Easy Bake" was somewhat underwhelming and he completely redeems himself on "Vice City," reminding us us that he is a rapper who likes to try on different hats, styles, flows, & personas more than anyone else in the game. On "Vice City" he swaggers all over the mic with a hook that is not easily forgotten. "Big money, big booty bitches /man, that shit gon’ be deafening."
"Vice City" is a triumph, but that doesn't mean some verse weren't better than others. When asked which member of Black Hippy had the best verse, Rock said, "I ain’t even gonna lie, Ab Soul killed that shit. That nigga is a lyrical genius."