Coming to you live is a new voice out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama who goes by Jay Dot Rain. Admittedly a newcomer to his talents, what struck me first was his thoughtful lyricism and the care he obviously puts into his penmanship. What's more is that he knows when to be complex and when to be straightforward with his delivery, able to stay on top of cutting-edge Southern beats and recognizing when to inject extra melody into his hooks. His new EP, Cooley Fly Chronicles III, is an impressive release, and it's got me wanting to check out the previous two tapes in the series.
CFC3 features Scotty ATL and Stalley, two mentors of Jay's, as well as Lil Nardy. The beats comes from Block Beattaz, Nard & B, JayeLL, and more. Jay's stories cover his experiences coming up in the Deep South, including reckoning with the region's ugly racial climate past and present, and even his time spent honing his craft in Sweden.