In 2016, unbeknownst to most, Jay Rock almost lost his life in a dirt bike accident. Though it’s a day Rock would rather forget, he may begrudgingly pat himself on the back before he does. Redemption may never have come to be without it. The types of themes and the overall concept of the project examine the fall and rise of Jay Rock 2.0. From this accident, the fire festered within him as he was unable to get into the studio. Instead he laid in the hospital, trapped with his thoughts. What came to be, a lyrical fury and a thematically charged project with the right features to best bring the message home. Above all else, Jay Rock’s Redemption begs the questions, should we be doing the same things we’ve been doing with our lives and is it conducive to our goals or is it time for a change?
“The Bloodiest”, the first track off the album, brings these themes to light with a visceral delivery and one hell of a mesmerizing beat. Jay Rock calls out all the snakes and fakes bar after bar, essentially, back to business but with a twist as he let’s all within ear shot know; he is not to be messed with. Find out all the ways that make Jay Rock the bloodiest with fantastic direction from Colin Tilley:
From beginning to the end, Redemption is top shelf heat with bangers like “For What It’s Worth”, “Knock it Off”, “ES Tales”, “Rotation 112th”, “Troopers”, and “Broke +-” exploring the streets and what builds up to having that perspective switch and the urge for something more in what has now become classic Jay Rock delivery. Jeremih, Future, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole and SZA, respectively, converge on Redemption, to deliver extremely resonating songs that feed into the overall theme of the project.
J. Cole on “OSOM” is impactful as the track explores various circumstances where one would choose to be out of sight, out of mind. Firstly, being Jay Rock’s tale of success and fame changing everyone in the given radius for better or worse with notoriety and wealth being the supreme benefit. Jay Rock adds to the verse by suggesting it would be best to separate from parties and ride solo into the sunset to really be out of sight, out of mind. Whereas J. Cole, fresh off KOD, spins a familiar scenario of drama and strife. Issues like these normally lead someone to result to a high of sorts to cope, which was a prevalent theme in KOD and the outcome being a familiar as the title; out of sight, out of mind. Witness the other ways one can be “OSOM” as cataloged by Dave East and Jack Bergert:
“Redemption” is a standout track for many reasons. For one, the sound switch up from an especially bass heavy menu to a creamy Sunday hymnal immediately sticks out. The lyrical content is equally striking, posing the question: “If you had a second chance at life, what would you do…?” Yet no answer is required as Jay Rock responds to his own prompt in a number of ways. If that wasn’t enough, “Redemption” features SZA’s divine voice. Those in know of SZA are aware of her damaged vocal chords that ultimately forced her out of the latest TDE tour (get well soon 🙏🏽). To hear her on this track, along with the sound and content, make “Redemption” the true attention grabber of the project.
Jay Rock’s Redemption should be heard by all interested in contemplating a second chance at life.
Listen/Stream Redemption: HERE
