Jay Rock - Redemption Album Review

Released by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and Interscope Records 2018

Redemption is the third studio album released by Jay Rock. It serves as the follow up to his sophomore album 90059 and is Jay Rock's first body of work since he was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle accident in early 2016.

Jay Rock opens the album with an explosive song detailing his come up from life in the streets before he got signed by TDE and made it in the rap game. He drifts away from the bass heavy, violent rapping on the first song, to a very self-conscious second song, questioning his life, and simply; is it worth it?

He ponders personal concerns with alcohol, money and women with bad intent. 
The second verse of the song is one that can leave you in a deep trance listening to every word Jay is rapping, and realising just how crazy the world can work. He raps: "And all she saw was a Benz and thought the world about me/She think her nigga a lick and I got rapper money/And child support is the only legal way she can ask for money." 
Jay's verse explores the risk of women with bad intentions and these bars refer to a woman that already has a man, but only sees him as a source of income. He is extremely skeptical of this woman and he can see her hidden intent is to become pregnant to his child so that she can trap him for 18 years of child support.

Redemption boasts some impressive features - J.Cole, Kendrick, Jeremih, SZA and Future all make the cut, and each artist delivers. Towards the halfway point of the album, Jay Rock goes from strength to strength with four of the best tracks from the album coming one after the other. Hit after hit. 

Jeremih features on the chorus to 'Tap Out', a song begging to be played, windows down, volume up on a summers day. Jay mainly describes his own sexual history with a close female friend, and brags about how he can have the girl whenever he wants - "Got a text where you at, ayyy/Head on the highway, I only do it my way".

OSOM (Out of Sight, Out of Mind) recruits J.Cole for a verse where he raps about keeping a close eye on the people closest to you, as they are the ones who may envy you and want to be in your position. Cole expresses that his friends thinking about backstabbing him should "Look both ways before you cross me, I tell ya" as this could be the start of their demise.

Throughout the album there is a constant feel that this is how Kendrick Lamar would visualise a Jay Rock album, and it is no surprise that in the credits Kendrick is listed as an executive producer.

Kendrick also has a feature on the album - Wow Freestyle. The Hit-Boy produced track allows the two rappers to vibe alternatively over the flute-heavy beat.
On the track, the two TDE members reflect on their come up in the rap game and brag about their rich lifestyle, "Cap on, and I got racks on/Spent four nights in the country I like, then take my rich ass back home" Kendrick raps on the opening verse.
Jay and Kendrick's chemistry comes into full effect as they go back and forth, effortlessly exchanging bars on the third verse. Many listeners may view this song as the best track on the album, and that would be no surprise. 

The twelfth track on the album, Redemption featuring SZA details Jay Rock's motorcycle incident in 2016, and touches on what could have been if it was fatal.  
"I see my funeral packed, I see some lyin', some cryin' and some givin' dap/ I see false claimers, strangers and foes with they head in they laps/I see some of them showin up just to post a picture."
The lyrics send a message that people may only remember you once you're gone, and how some of the people who pay tribute to you, were never your friend when it mattered.  
Jay's first verse comes at an important time in the rap industry with the recent passing of XXXTentacion. Tributes have flooded in for Triple X on various forms of social media, from rap artists like Kanye West and J.Cole. 
Kanye tweeted: "Rest in peace, I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here, thank you for existing". Although Kanye means no harm with his tweet, and paid tribute to Triple X, the tweet fits perfectly in-line with Jay Rock's first verse of Redemption, and how strangers will only remember you once you're gone even though you have impacted their life.

Jay Rock caps off the album with the second single released prior to the album - 'WIN' featuring ad-libs from Kendrick Lamar. On 'WIN' Jay brags about his status in the rap game, and raps about how his jewellery is better than any other rap artists - "And your diamonds like tap water/This shit way too foggy/These VVS' way awesome". He's claiming his rivals' diamonds aren't of good quality, and that they're like tap water, which is impure. 

Redemption is currently floating in a pool filled with new hip-hop music recently released - including Beyoncè and Jay Z's collab album, and Nas' album executively produced by Kanye West. It would be tough to prioritise listening to Redemption over these heavyweights of the rap industry, but Jay Rock has a contender for album of the year, so you know what to do.