After the markedly disastrous year that was 2016 (in more ways than one), Palestinian-American rapper Jirias and producer extraordinaire RKG have sought fit to start the year 2017 off right, with the release of their EP New Year, which was released on the ever appropriate start of the new year. Here we like to give excellent music the praise it deserves, and New Year is the next in a line of can’t miss music we are highlighting. One important thing to note, is that Jirias is saving a bonus song that you cannot find on SoundCloud with the rest of the songs. To hear it, please check out the EP on Bandcamp or view it on Youtube. You will definitely want to check this song out specifically, it is a highlight of the album, and is a remix of Childish Gambino’s Redbone with a Jirias flavor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJZIzespkPM
http://soundcloud.com/jirias/sets/new-year-ep
Today we will go over some of the standouts from the EP, if you like what you are hearing, do listen to the entire EP, it is an incredibly cohesive piece. The EP starts out with “Black Beatle” and immediately draws you in with an aggression that is different from the work Jirias has put out previously. Combining a heavily modified sample of Curtis Mayfield’s “Little Child Running Wild” (courtesy of RKG) with a personally charged flow laced with references to Jirias’ heritage, it is the perfect start to the EP and sets up the mood perfectly.
The next song standout song on the EP is “Come Down”, with it’s familiar instrumentals sampled from Evelyn “Champagne” King’s 80’s hit “Love Come Down.” Following “Black Beatle,” “Come Down” is incredibly different and shows a different side of Jirias, showcasing just how deep his range is. Top marks for Jirias singing in addition to rapping on this track, not many rappers nowadays have the guts to attempt that. Ultimately, this is a love tinged rap attack fit to become a summer classic.
The final track from New Year that we will be going over is track #6, “Lost.” “Lost” is a notable song due to being the only one to feature a lyricist other than Jirias, with Frisco Vega joining Jirias for a verse on this track. A very otherworldly instrumental gives “Lost” a vibe unique from the other tracks on this EP. Utilizing droning elements with a throbbing bass, RKG provides an excellent canvas for Frisco Vega and Jirias to paint their very daring pictures. And let me just say, Frisco Vega and Jirias complement each other excellently and provide something you just can’t find on the other tracks.
Altogether, New Year is an EP to be very proud of, Jirias and RKG have crafted something that can easily be a turning point for them, leading down a creative path that could see them reaching heights previously unseen. We here have been waiting quite a long time for this EP, and after the drip feed of singles, it is incredibly worth the wait. You owe it to yourself to listen to this EP in full, if the year has more like this, both from Jirias and the music industry as a whole, we might finally see the music revolution we have been waiting nearly a decade to see.
