This year is the golden anniversary of hip-hop, and who better to dap the affair than a lifelong disciple? Well, there are few cats in Orlando as true to the roots of the defining American art form as DJ Jaymob. And, as its title says point-blank, his new Paying Homage To Hip Hop EP does precisely that.
Originally from NYC, Jaymob was a product of rap’s golden age with a career that stretches back to the late 1980s. Befitting both his heritage and the occasion, the Orlando DJ-producer keeps the sounds on Paying Homage To Hip Hop clean and classic. Crafted mostly by the Jaymob-led producer syndicate RGN (Real Great Network), the production struts with chiseled beats and dark, urban swag.
The list of featured rappers here also spotlights Jaymob’s dual background, pairing big New York names like Keith Murray, Ruste Juxx and Recognize Ali with locals like Madd Illz and SB the Anomaly.
But, while everything else about Paying Homage To Hip Hop is proudly traditional, the most inspired stroke that Jaymob takes here is passing the mic to lots of lady MCs in a smart, modern twist that bucks the historical rap patriarchy. In fact, it’s the women — specifically, the all-female trinity of Aida from Queens, Nejima Nefertiti from Brooklyn and Ke Turner from Atlanta — who deliver the EP’s best, toughest moment in opening track “H2O Volume” with a hard-flexing, unfuckwithable assault.
But between the many and diverse vocal performances, the EP covers much ground in just four tracks. Now streaming everywhere, Paying Homage To Hip Hop is the first of four related Jaymob EPs planned for release on his label Gas Face Records, so keep watching for more.
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This article appears in Jul 12-18, 2023.
