This is the debut mixtape from Cambridge, England, United Kingdom rapper, singer/songwriter & producer of Jamaican-Irish descent JayaHadADream. Eventually moving to Nottingham, her debut single “Half Hearted Heart” wouldn’t come out until the spring of 2019 & her debut extended play Redemption Songs arrived a little over 5 years later. Despite it’s moderate reception, I still appreciated the jazzy sound her long-time collaborator Zoutr went for & felt Happiness from Agony would only improve from there.
We get treated to a powerful reflection regarding Jaya’s views on the “State of the World” for the opening 4 & a half minutes whereas “The Bank” gives off some heavy festival vibes instrumentally talking about the pressures that come with fame. “Repackage” featuring Capo Lee finds the pair talking about sending the shots right back to the initial sender leading into “Hideout” featuring Frisco links up so they can dismiss those who’re lyrically inferior.
“Bug” ends the 1st leg of the LP letting Jaya hold the mic down myself again over a jazzy drill beat telling all of her haters to cry her a river just before “Yoga” featuring Keeya Keys kicks off the 2nd half spaciously talks about trusting no one. “Main Characters” featuring Big Zuu sees both artists calling out fake love when they see it until Coops saves my favorite guest appearance for last during “If It Ain’t”, coasting a boom bap instrumental to balance many emotional forces.
The song “I Know” tackles the familiar themes of heartbreak to wind down Happiness from Agony’s concluding moments while “At the Abbey” hits us with a beat reminiscent of something that my favorite group of all-time the almighty Wu-Tang Clan or the late, great MF DOOM would’ve killed, talking about the concept of identity. “Nothing’s Changed” sends off the tape balancing her increasing success in music & being a person who’s still searching for peace.
Receiving co-signs from the likes of Fred again.. & Giggs to name a couple, JayaHadADream continues to reveal herself amongst the most prominently rising voices in UK hip hop by becoming more self-aware throughout Happiness from Agony from a personal & political perspective. The jazz rap production incorporates elements of UK drill, grime & garage to expand Jaya’s sound & enlist a handful of guests for explore the dissonance between public success & private struggle.
Score: 4/5
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