Walk the Line 2: Album Review

Walk the Line 2 starts off with heavy beat fronts. Backed by piano cords that provide a locked in rhythm. The production has a great bounce and instantly gives you that southern hip hop aroma. 

Jay's first words are strong and instantly demands attention. The flow is prominent, infectious and forces you to nod. Punchlines are delivered in a clever pop-social rhetoric. Given the delivery has a few low points as the intro is the common long-winded verse to support his ability as a MC. Something that's not particularly special or gives you that deep sense of creativity. Lyric wise it’s amazing to hear Skreet go into more personal parts of his life. A great start to Walk the Line 2. Now jump into "Penny Hardaway" the production laid with heavy bass, ticks hit sharp as it’s accompanied with a infamous Donny Hathaway "Song for you" sample. The placement of the sample has an amazing mix, creating a vibe for Skreet that's hard to deny. Jay talks about the pressure of being on stage. The pressure of being a MC in today's realm. His lyrics match up with the passion of the sample as he touches on more personal issues. Jay’s delivery is similar to what you've grown to expect from the artist. The lyrics are strong and metaphors are relayed around the expectations of an artist. Using Penny Hardaway as an example of his potential and being underrated is perfect. The chorus doesn't really bring more to the record other than extending the sound. The concept is amazing and the exceptionally delivered lyrics make this song a piece of art. "Do It Big" comes in quiet and gives the calm before the storm feel. The production immediately gives you that bounce. Synth piano keys, followed by heavy re-verb. Jay’s voice is vivid and tacked. The build up is exciting. Lyrically everything is amped as the production channels its strongest symphony. A great melodic deep, rhythm accompanies the whole song. Very infectious and gives that familiarity as the song coasts into hip-hop perfection. The song, the lyrics and concept are completely amazing. Jay gives ego driven rap lyrics that pumps your persona all the way through. Do it big does exactly that. "Right Now" is next on the list. A complete change in the tempo holding onto thick production. Crunchy snaps, high ticks soaked in melody. Jay's lyrics don't really provide an impact as strong as previous records. The delivery rides the tempo which provides little interest and excitement. The song doesn't manage to touch much pass filler. The chorus is light and doesn't really give off a great personification. The song falls flat in the area of vibes as auto-tune reinforces the notion. Some high points are provided by the production and Jay when both change course, but not enough to become notable mention on the album. Say hello to "Hello Lover" immediately the production grants you chills. The instrumentals provide a great range and play perfect into the tempo. Jay’s voice is accompanied by a slight use of auto-tune. His singing is amazing and grants another dynamic to the artist and the song. His lyrics stay on point to the topic.

Dynamic projection as his flow pattern switches often to keep the listener engaged. You’re lost in a trance by his story telling and mid-range voice. The chorus is great and catchy. Hello Lover submerges you from beginning to end. No part falls short as the song ends with a sudden abrupt, you realize it’s over. When that happens you have had an experience, not just a song. Skip down to "Talking Dirty" the most raunchy, too hot for TV record on the album. Talking dirty is exactly that, explicit lyrics and vivid story telling of very direct sexual acts. This is your backroom, Rated-R skip the record unless you’re grown part of the album. Sex sells and this record manages to sell it well. Aside from the lyrics clarity, the way it’s performed gives you a sense of how sexual this record is meant to sound. Red face lyrics and a boisterous delivery make this song unique. The production has a club bounce that adds density. The chorus is catchy, nothing special. The lyrics and clarity are what capture you into this piece. His flow is confidently entertaining and this song follows the same guidelines. "Tired" has a caustic beat that provides a melodic trance. You drown in its deep base and faded piano melody. The topic is a little different from what Jay usually offers. The production is amazing and the choice of instruments fit perfectly. Jay’s verse is slow and broken. Which passionately coincides with the tempo and focuses solely on the lyrics. His lyrics are perfect and story telling is truly vivid. The chorus is accompanied by Almarie which is sung beautifully. Her soft voice echos in reverb and creates the perfect mix to the record. Jay’s singing overlaps, which kind of hurts the record as she is the better singer. Side by side it flaws the sound. Making it evident that Jay’s strong suit is rap. Following a different arrangement would of been a better fit, but we understood the approach. The song is still undoubtedly amazing and manages to give us chills at times. "From Scratch" is immediately blessed by the vocals of D.Austin. Strong chorus heavy dubbs and thick re-verb is supported as the chorus is radio ready. D.Austin’s high notes are perfectly pitched, granting the record that extra appeal. The production is amazing and Jay’s choices have so far been spot on. Jay’s verse coasts his similar style, Which never leaves that mid-tone mid-range tempo. Lyrics are witty and stay spot on. The song is similar to his talking dirty with a larger selling point and pull from the explicit lyrics. "LMAO" is the next song in line. The production is darker, heavier as Jay’s direction has changed. The production is back to the head nod of its original format. Nothing is particularly special about the production but the track does a great job of keeping your attention. Jay’s topics and lyrics really shine. This song is creative, refreshing and amazingly written. The use of acronyms is so witty and perfect that the listener is left in awe. His skill is shown at such a high-level that you feel like you’ve dived into another level of Jay. Everything about his approach is hip hop. Dirty, grungy, smart lyrics that support his ideas. The chorus is catchy and perfect to today's social dependence. The lyrics used are creative and as good as the musicality that supported it. The lyrics never take away from his flow, as most Mc's struggle to balance both as great as Jay did. This record is truly a standout and something special. "Improv" comes in with corky production. A refreshing new take from its southern heavy dominance the album bathes in. Improv really doesn't catch you from the beginning. Jay and the production didn’t really connect as one. Jay felt like he was on top of the instrumental most of the way through. The song didn't really manage to capture us or deliver anything to the table. The verses felt broken and lyrics were all over the place, But of course its improv, wouldn't have been a worthy excuse as we still expected a song that had the structure of his previous work. It’s a very passable track to what has been a solid album. Skip down to "On Repeat" and it instantly gives you that soulful hiphop feel. Jay’s voice on the chorus sounds amazing. The use of autotune blended with the pitch of his voice fits perfectly. He sounds distressed by the small variety of range that has flooded hiphop radio waves. This song is a perfect feel of something different from today's music. It has such a refreshing sound and crisp flow. Jay’s delivery is great and the production is dope. On repeat is definitely a record that you will have on repeat. "Never Ending" has the most chill worthy production on the album. A perfect mix of sample singing and trance inspired back drop. You are soaked in the presence of this piece just off of the production. Jay’s lyrics and storytelling is prominent. It held the record so high and inspires emotions that go beyond good hiphop. This is what makes an artist untouchable. That sound, that indescribable feeling. His flow coasts through the record and never breaks the mood. The chorus is heavily dubbed and sometimes feels a little overwhelming but there is such a good vibe on this song, that all of that is overlooked. This is an amazing record that brings you into Jay’s world in the most vivid fashion. "The Walk Out" being the last record on the album. Skreet goes back to the hard hitting, sharp ticks, piano laced production. The production definitely is fitting for a finale. The song and lyrics are strong but lack dominance of the previous records. This wasn't the strongest ending but one that has such a respectable exit. Walk the Line 2 is an amazing piece of art. From poetic production to ego driven punchlines. Hip-hop stands on its high horse with grandeur. Jay delivers the hip-hop experience from many angles. Some stories may have been re-told but never come off boring. Only a few moments lack his signature feel but still manages to be great. His story telling is unmatched, as he never loses the musicality. The production choices range from samples, to 808's, heavy baselines and melodic piano chords. Jay delivers great performances back to back. Digging deep into the soul of himself to give the listener more than good music. This album has more than one golden record, it has many. His growth from WalkTheLine to this one is simply amazing. Everything was amplified from WalkTheLine. Production quality, punchlines, lyrics, fewer drop points, and more personality. Jay delivers his best work through this album. What an outstanding outlook on his life, and struggles as an artist. His confidence is driven through his talent and shows through these records. This is a piece of musical genius that should not be missed. If you weren't ready to walk with Jay then trust us, you’re ready now.

Jay DaSkreet - WALK THE LINE 2

Untouchable

4.5/5

RELEASE SCHEDULE FOR: NOV 13,2015