Raw Money Raps

by Jeremiah Jae

I've reached the point where any new album or project coming out from Brainfeeder is something I'll buy on sight, even if I'm not previously familiar with the artist.

Where most of the Brainfeeder are left-field electronic artists, trading in instrumentals, Jeremiah Jae is a double-threat producer and rapper.  His beats definitely fit with the label's aesthetic, and his raps work well with that type of sound.

Jae produces the same layered tracks that we've come to expect from label mates Flying Lotus, Thundercat, and Teebs, but he adds that verbal layer to the proceedings, in his blunted, laconic style.  He approaches a lot of the standard hiphop tropes (the album is called Raw Money Raps, so this shouldn't be a surprise), but he manages to transcend the lazy boredom of most hiphop.

The second half of the album gets a little lost amid some interlude-style tracks (with the exception of the sublimely driving 'Hercules Versus the Commune'), but the first half is pretty fierce.  Tracks like 'Seasons' and 'Guns Go Off' showcase Jae's skills perfectly.  The stand-out track is 'Cat Fight', which is actually produced by FlyLo, but it's where Jae sounds best as well.

If you are looking for hip-hop that is moving in some new directions, this is worth checking out.