Tag: Jay Royale

Jay Royale – “Criminal Discourse” review

This is the 3rd full-length album from Baltimore emcee Jay Royale. Exploding onto the scene with his critically acclaimed debut The Ivory Stoop, he would continue to gain more exposure during the 2020 COVID lockdowns by dropping a sophomore effort The Baltimore Housing Project that was also well received by critics & fans alike. But as the 3 year mark of the latter’s unveiling approaches in less than a couple months, Jay’s looking to close out the trilogy in the form of Criminal Discourse.

The title track is a somber boom bap opener promising to crack cases like Watson & Holmes when his homies get out from the pen whereas “The Calm” ironically keeps the dreary atmosphere going layering kicks & snares on top of the loop talking about drug deals on the phone. “Carlito & Kleinfeld” featuring Kool G Rap produced by Ray Sosa works in these hair-raising string sections getting in their mafioso bag fittingly enough leading into “The Alleged” featuring Willie the Kid plants crimes inside vocals with an intimidating boom bap instrumental from Stu Bangas.

“Dial Tone” hooks up some kicks & snares over an operatic vocal sample expressing his self-awareness that there are people who’re out to get him, but then “Slot Time” featuring Saigon is a piano/boom bap hybrid promising that 2023 will be the year that motherfuckers get overcharged. “Civillian Phones” calls out those who’re only built for exactly that over more keys, kicks & snares just before “Romello Skuggz” delves the sound present on the last 2 cuts even further seeking the reaper’s invitation.

Continuing from there, “The Money Phone Pic” gives off a shimmery boom bap flare dissing people who post pictures of them holding money to their ear saying it’s for their obituaries & after the “Bell Tower” interlude, “Jaw Tap” crosses over some pianos & strings laying down laws by sucker-punching jaws . “Land Lines” takes it back to the basement instrumentally filled with mob talk while “The Wise & Lakid” featuring Havoc brings back the keys, kicks & snares saying fuck school to get money with those wildin’

“The Shhhh Dialect” featuring AZ keeps it boom bap except for the glamorous loop throughout being cautious towards not speaking much on the phone being self-aware of the feds that’re trying to listen in on their convos while the funereal penultimate track “End Game” featuring Styles P talking about how the streets’ll meet you halfway in the end. “90’s Beeper Code” concludes the nearly 5-year trilogy on a dusty note explaining that the final chapter was to empower you.

The Baltimore Housing Project stayed on heavy rotation the summer it dropped when the whole world was shut down due to COVID & I still think it’s one of the strongest sophomore albums in recent memory, but he really saves the best installment of the trilogy for Criminal Discourse. You can really hear how much he’s evolved as an MC within the past 5 years on top of the boom bap production getting dirtier & a stellar feature list.

Score: 4.5/5

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Jay Royale – “The Baltimore Housing Project” review

This is the highly anticipated sophomore album from Baltimore emcee Jay Royale, who came onto my radar not too long ago with the release of his 2018 full-length debut The Ivory Stoop. But after a couple of big features on Vinnie Paz & Daniel Son’s latest albums, he’s back on his own for The Baltimore Housing Project.

The intro is pretty much Jay setting the tone for the whole album on top of a minimal yet punchy beat whereas the next song “Thousand Gram Figero” with Skyzoo sees the 2 coming with the battle bars over an old school boom bap beat. “The Town” pretty much describes the city that he grew up on over a foreboding instrumental while the track “Skee Rack” with Ransom goes at people who doubted them over a hypnotic beat.

The song “Pearl Handle” with Ill Conscious finds both of them talking about being strapped over a beat with a grim guitar passage while the track “Tint Cruddy” with Termanology sees the 2 talking about making it over an instrumental with a heavenly loop. The song “Hate to Love It” talks about his validity over an orchestral beat while the track “Lime” with Willie the Kid talks about how no one can compete with them over a piano & some heavy drums.

The song “Levaz” talks about pushing drugs over a boom bap beat with a luxurious piano loop while the track “Reefer Clouds” paints some dark street imagery over an instrumental with a plucky guitar loop. The song “Charles S. Dutton” gets back with Ill Conscious to reminisce on their childhoods over a flute-tinged instrumental while the penultimate track “Unreasonable Doubted” talks about people doing shit behind his back over a shadowy instrumental. The outro starts off with Jay talking about trying to bring back those classic Nas/AZ vibes on top of a murky beat, but then transitions into a decent “Unreasonably Doubted” remix.

If you liked his verse on “Scorched Earth”, you’d definitely enjoy this album because it’s probably the man’s best work yet if you ask me. The production is a lot more grimier than The Ivory Stoop was & Jay Royale does a great job at taking the listener through the experiences he had in his hometown.

Score: 4/5