"I know you don't know me, but I'm apart of A1; from the Neptune area." That was my first conversation with Cinsay. She invited me to her mixtape release party where she and her collective first unveiled Just Till I Make It. Being a Neptune Native and music fan I try not to let much get past my ear in Jersey, let alone my own backyard. Of course I've heard of her. Especially when I heard her verse on Hollywood Terrance that I first heard on her labelmate MostDope's POME tape (more on that later).
Let's get to it. Cin really impresses us with her skills as an emcee as well as her vocals. As a project it's pretty dope. If I had to make comparisons to anyone in the game it'd have to be Nicki Minaj. Not because they are both lady emcees but how well she manipulates her voice and flows from rapping to singing and tone throughout any particular track. She wasn't a stranger to sharing spotlight as she made way for many features including Mike Sav, K Prez, Annalee, Esco, and A1 labelmates Apollo, Eli, and MostDope. It's a great variety of moods and vibes of the music. There's music for the pregame, the gym, and even a few love songs on here too. She truly is versatile and has a crazy skillset.
If I had to choose songs that stood out two of them are the singles, Hollywood Terrance and Straight Outta Jersey. We already expressed how awesome we think Hollywood Terrance is a few times but Straight Outta Jersey really serves as a great anthem for the state. If I had my way it'd be on every radio station and club dj in the tri-state just in time for the summer. This is the best anthem to the Garden State I've ever heard no argument. Another song I really loved was TT Story. It's definitely my favorite as Niles could tell you how much I raved over this one. Cinsay really shows she's more than adept as a storyteller. The song was so raw. Either she's been through a lot of stuff or she needs to pick up acting. Either way, TT story hit home. She illiterates and paints a crazy picture the listener could create in their head. Speaking of visuals, word on the street this video is dropping tonight so look out for that tomorrow on WTM. If there's any Meek Mill fans left this reminds me of how Meek did Tony Story on Dreamchasers (one) and part two on Dreams & Nightmares. This was well done.
If I had to be critical of her debut project I wouldn't have too much to say. As Niles puts it, she made rookie mistakes, that's fine this is her first go round. I would vary her beat selection just a little more. I love bangers just as much as the next guy but her talent and versatility is clear. I'm sure she'd do well on a different variety of beats. I'd lay off the autotune a little bit too. It's fine in some situations but she has a great raw voice let's hear it. For awhile I was confused on who's song was Hollywood Terrance. Until Trust gave me the deal I thought it was MostDope's especially because we first heard it on his debut project. Although the replay value is still there I'm not the greatest fan of reusing songs but to be honest, the whole industry does it. Usually on debut projects you shouldn't see a bunch of features. First time around we wanna hear you and see what you can do. The features only helped and didn't hinder the project at all though so not completely negative. The only distraction is the random sound bites, intros, and yelling from randoms in some of the songs. At times you can lose your place in the project. It didn't have a complete structure and at times it sounds like a collection of songs rather than a story being told. Maybe that wasn't the goal this go round. Lastly, I wish there was album art. Maybe I'm a stickler (or I just missed it) but album art is always a great expression to get new fans to press play.
Anyways she approached me humbly about how hard she worked on this project. To deny that and I'd be lying. I also love that this is a physical project and something you have to go out and get. If you don't reach out and get a signed copy personally you could cop the second single on iTunes. This one was seriously worth the purchase. I really look forward to sitting down with her and the rest of the A1 crew soon. There's something brewing in Jersey and especially the shore. I think we all better pay heed. As for Cin I think she has the potential to be the next big thing. Talents like her don't come around often. With a little time and promotion I seriously doubt WTM will be the only ones talking about her. Just Till I Make It gets 4 of 5 Stars on the Ramsey Rating Scale. I really suggest you guys reach out and grab a copy.
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