New Music Critique: JBadge

You gotta love how artist JBadge avoids the same-ol’ same-ol’ on these recordings, which are loaded with cool effects and ideas—though perhaps too much. A melancholy piano carries the rainy-day vibe of “Simple,” which features the rapper’s signature slurred vocal and an unsettling, “alien” effect that is soon countered by an equally trippy bass vocal—something you don’t hear every day. The rapper’s bleak view of the world pervades “Guap,” a rant about dog-eat-dog street life. Best of the bunch is “Halfway” with its elegant piano, handclaps and lyrics about perseverance. We admire its uncluttered, minimalistic arrangement and urge this artist to take the same approach to his other joints.