spotlight! sippin' on Jin and juice
By Joe Nguyen
nguyjos@mscd.edu
Jin Presents the Emcee's Proper?ganda (Draft, 2005)
Jin has been compared to Eminem because he's a quick-tongued rapper with witty lines and a knack for free-styling and, as one of his verses goes, "the only reason you compare me to him is 'cause I'm not black, neither."
This Chinese-American rapper from New York garnered recognition after defeating seven opponents on BET's "106 & Park's" weekly "Freestyle Fridays." Pitted against adversaries who attacked his ethnicity, Jin retaliated with elaborate one-liners that made him an instant fan favorite and got him a contract with the Ruff Ryders. He released his first album The Rest is History in 2004 and sold over 100,000 copies. With its mediocre beats and lackluster rhymes, it failed to live up to the hype Jin attained as a free-stylist.
In Presents the Emcee's Proper?ganda, he showcases his true lyrical talent with insightful rhymes about a wide variety of subjects, not the gibberish that was spit out in his debut. Teaming up with 16-year-old producer Golden Child, the album is a collection of laid-back, jazzy underground beats.
In "Top 5 (Dead or Alive)," Jin lists his favorite rappers and presents a quick five-minute history of the genre over an arrangement of shuffling drumbeats and deep, mellow bass tones. "No More Fans" is filled with sassy horn hits while he ponders why everyone wants to be a rapper nowadays. "I wonder if this only happens in my profession, like when Jordan had the number one spot, you'd think they'd ran up on him like, 'You have to see my jump shot.'"
Clearly disgruntled, Jin shows his disdain toward the business side of hip-hop in several of his songs. In "G.O.L.D.E.N.," he discusses the lack of lyrical talent in many of today's hits. "Lets take it back to the basics, lets face it, nowadays, it's all about the beats, lyrics are wasted." Ironically, the song has the worst beats in the album with its revving bass and odd-clicking tone complement.
Only one song, "Carpe Diem," sounds like it has a chance at radio-play because of its sweet, plucky string melody and catchy hook. Despite that, Presents the Emcee's Proper?ganda is a solidly constructed album that deserves to be heard.