This is the surprise sophomore album from New Orleans emcee/producer Jay Electronica. Fans had waited 13 years for him to drop a full-length album ever since his debut EP Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) & we finally got that in the form of شهادةمكتوبة back in March of this year, which was a collab effort with JAY-Z. But after leaking online recently, Jay has decided to officially drop the OG version of the album.
“Real Magic” talks about accepting oneself over a bare piano instrumental while the next song “New Illuminati” talks about being just that over a churchy beat. After the “Patents of Nobility” interlude, the track “Life on Mars” pays tribute to Erykah Badu over some synths. The song “Bonnie & Clyde” shit-talks on those faking over a sample of the Serge Gainsbourg joint of the same name while the track “Dinner at Tiffany’s” is essentially “Shiny Suit Theory” off شهادةمكتوبة.
The song “Memories & Merlot” reminisces on all the moments in his life that he cherishes over a settle, psychedelic beat while the track “Better in Tune” gets confessional over an angelic instrumental. The song “Letter of Falon” talks about climbing the highest mountain himself over some hi-hats & claps while the track “Road to Perdition” with JAY-Z sees the 2 making a number of references to the Tom Hanks film of the same name over a triumphant beat.
“Welcome to Knightsbridge” flexes his rapping prowess over a hypnotic instrumental while the track “Rough Love” gets raunchy over a beat with some stunning choir vocals. The song “Night of the Roundtable” talks about feeling his hunger growing over some claps & keyboard embellishments while the penultimate track “Run & Hide” is a stunning R&B duet with The Bullitts that tells the story of a woman who escapes from her problems. The closer “10,000 Lotus Petals” is just a wonderful orchestral piece with no Jay presence at all.
To be honest, I think this is his true debut album & I’ll even go as far to say that it’s better than شهادةمكتوبة. Sure it can sound dated at times, but the production on here is a lot better in comparison & Jay Electronica lyrically was at his best during this point in time.
It’s actually here; The full-length debut studio album from New Orleans, Louisiana emcee/producer Jay Electronica. Ever since his breakout mixtape Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) in 2007, this has become one of the most anticipated hip hop albums within the past decade. 13 long years have passed, but the day has finally arrived & he’s enlisting Roc Nation Records founder JAY-Z to provide verses throughout a large amount of it.
After the “Overwhelming Event” intro, we get into the first song “Ghost of Soulja Slim”. Where both Jays make references to death as well as racism & Islam over a grand instrumental from Electronica himself. “The Blinding” talks about Electronica’s return over an instrumental from araabMUZIK alongside Hit-Boy & Swizz Beatz that starts off with a grim atmosphere until transitioning into something more calming. “The Neverending Story” talks about the noblest of gentlemen over an alluring instrumental from The Alchemist while the song “Shiny Suit Theory” is pretty much an adviseful conversation on wax backed by a jazzy beat.
“Universal Soldier” talks about wanting to be saved from themselves over a heavenly boom bap beat while the song “Flux Capacitor” finds both rappers being off beat to the point where it’s distracting. The track “Fruits of the Spirit” is solely Electronica comparing himself to Thanos over a soulful instrumental from No I.D. while the song “Ezekiel’s Wheel” addresses those who ever doubted this day ever come & it’s so long that the Brian Eno sample starts to become annoying before it’s even over. The album finishes off with “A.P.I.D.T.A.”, which pays tribute to those in Jay’s life that’re no longer here over a guitar instrumental that fits the tone fantastically.
Starting the deluxe run, we’re treated to a Conductor Williams remix of “Abracadabra” from the What the Fuck’s a Jay Electronica? mixtape while “Who Killed Michael Jackson??????” featuring Quinten Miller after the “Real Life Alchemy” interlude talks about collecting profits until the prophecy’s fulfilled over synthesizers. “Is It Possible That the Honorable Elijah Muhammad is Still Physically Alive???” featuring D.R.A.M. takes inspiration from the Jabril Muhammad book of the same name on top of an Evidence beat while “Japan Airline 1628” references the 1986 UFO sighting in Alaska.
“4,400,000,000 (The Worst is Yet to Come)” takes on an experimentally drumless sound talking about being a denier of climate change & suggesting he’s more of a “Smooth Criminal” than Michael Jackson because used to live with Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy when he was still with Cassie, although he was never issued an affidavit when the disgraced Bad Boy Entertainment founder was on trial for sex crimes & “Highlander” produced by Feardorian is more of an interlude than anything.
After the “Civilian Life is Nothing“ interlude, “Ashes to Ashes” drumlessly exercising his demons both internally & externally while “Best Wishes” featuring Westside Gunn keeps the drums out of the equation hoping y’all have a blessed life. “Blood Libel. Who’s That Lying on God?” takes it a step further to defend Diddy much like Ye or the Nazi formerly known as Kanye West did & “Big Baby Jesus” feels like another interlude.
“Letter to Mars” after the “Dear Mr. Blaine, I Won.” interlude gets the ball rolling on the Mars, The Inhabited Planet portion by talks about not making it where he is now & after the “1,000mph to the Border” interlude, “Candace Owens…Tell Us More!” pens an open letter to the far-right conspiracy theorist. “CNN & BBC are Liars” by PYT Joce after the “if you won’t do it for you…shine for me” R&B interlude performed by Harley both any Jay Electronica presence with PYT Joce dissing both news networks & after the “Remember That 1 Time Trump Tweaked on Zelensky in the White House?” interlude, the final bonus track “Anybody Else Know How to Work Ruby Slippers???????????????????” finishes with a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Does شهادةمكتوبة deliver after such a long wait? I’d personally say it’s a worthy conscious/abstract hip hop LP with secondary influences of hardcore hip hop, drumless, boom bap & experimental. The mixing could’ve been better at some parts but Jay Electronica’s intellectually Islamic lyricism remains intact, JAY-Z compliments him like Ghostface Killah did with Raekwon on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… & the production is incredibly creative.
Legends Will Never Die 