Watch: Lifestyles - @TheRealTyJack & @SoULFULLnjn

The New Jeru Native union of Ty Jackson and SOULFULL harvested much product.


Countless loosies, a few features on each other's projects (HOMEMADE & EraNu respectively), and a killer collab project, Boulevard Blues this year. Lifestyles provides us the first visual off that project. Soulfull rap verse and a Ty Jack hook is a perfect formula but it's that second verse where Tyler spits a 16 instead of a crooning ballad instead. I'm more than impressed he had this much upside. Check out the Franklin duo's new video after the break.

Editor's Picks: Week of 4-3-16

Editor's picks of the week, Let's get to it.

Song on Repeat: On The Way - Big Sean & Jhene Aiko

Out of nowhere Big Sean & Jhene Aiko eff'd up the game and dropped Twenty88. I saw my TL talking about the surprise release but everyone was vague. When I got the chance, I actually saw that it was a collaborative EP between the heavy hitters. At this point I had to stream it immediately. On the Way is definitely gonna be a killer on the radio. Not 100 if I'm just gonna enjoy this as a fan or actually be critical of the project. Until I decide enjoy On the Way after the break.



Indie Track: Nites X Work - PartyXMichael

New on the WTM radar is PartyXMichael. A couple weeks back he dropped his new project, Gone So Far. Nites X Work like much of the project samples a lot from Drake's So Far Gone. Produced himself he looped Drake and Lloyd in A Night Off. combined with trap and synths providing a dope vibe. A little too much autotune for my liking but combined with the rap verse the track is tough. Check it out after the break.


Throwback Jawn: Feels Good - Tony Toni Tonè

I found myself behind my turntables this week. It's been awhile since I mixed anything seriously so I took my stab at New Jack Swing. MotownPhilly, Poison, FatherMC, all share the BPM with the track I keep revisiting today, Feels Good by Tony, Toni, Tonè. This is really the music I grew up on watching my mom and dad dance at the cookouts too. Take a trip to the good ole days with the kid below.


Project of the Week: Boulevard Blues - Ty Jackson & SOULFULL

Niles already reviewed the Franklin, New Jeru Natives duo's project but this is definitely a lot of what I've been listening to this week. After my sit down with SOULFULL he previewed the first track, truth, for me. Ty Jackson is a vocal powerhouse packing a lot of soul in his diaphragm. I'm already excited for the follow up to EraNu and the other projects SOULFULL announced to me. I'll spill more when I drop the interview soon. In the meantime listen to Boulevard Blues after the break.

Review: Boulevard Blues - @TheRealTyJack & @SoULFULLnjn; A Niles P. Joint

The New Jeru Natives are continuing to musically fortify their stronghold on the state’s rap scene.  This time around they combine the talents of two of their best and brightest, singer Ty Jackson & emcee SOULFULL , for an EP.  When I first heard of the collaboration, titled Boulevard Blues, I honestly had no idea on how it would play out.  Throughout hip hop history, there have been a mountain of collabs between rap and R&B, but no one has successfully done it for a full project.  Additionally, this would be my first real introduction to Ty Jackson as I hadn’t covered any of his music for WTM before now.  So the five track project was as good of an opportunity as any to analyze both.

Despite being labeled as such, Blues Brothers (Intro) is a fully fleshed out song, and I’m glad they fleshed it out and didn't cut it short.  Ty Jack successfully fuses singing and rapping.  His voice has the melodic qualities to make this work.  It’s a lightning and thunder combination as SOULFULL finishes the track with his more traditional and trademark gruff bars.  It’s an early sign that shit’s gonna go well on the EP.  Truth has an early 2000s Neo Soul vibe and I didn’t know how much I missed that subgenre until I heard this song.  This joint will take you back to the days of big ass Rocawear belt buckles holding up oversized jeans with a garbage wash, haha.  The two artist’s chemistry becomes more apparent with each song.

Lifestyles continues along the same line while still maintaining it’s originally.  Using a smooth ass combo of guitar and other strings, they make a song that’s both easygoing & substantial lyrically.  It’s also worth noting that while primarily a singer, Ty is also a serviceable rapper.  We get more of a traditional R&B/Soul tone with Rock On.  It’s the closest thing to a slow jam that the EP has and I’m glad that they buried the lede and defied expectations.  The crown jewel of the whole joint is the closer, My Way.  The Franklin, NJ duo talks about their pursuit of careers in music and how their dreams conflicted with those of their parents.  It’s a moving theme set to melancholy music that anyone that’s went against the grain in face of their parents can relate to.  At the end they encapsulate it when Ty Jackson says he “just want to do this shit my way.”  It’s that balance between  the pain of letting your parents down with the resolve of making it on your own terms that’s makes the song a tour de force.

To say that this project surpassed my expectations is an understatement.  I was expecting a bunch of love songs and instead got some deep themes that brought back a nostalgia for an era I kind of forgot about.  More so, I knew SOULFULL was dope but I was very impressed with Ty Jackson’s skill set.  I would've been cool with him singing but he proved that he has the ability to hold his own as a rapper.  All of these things bode well for both artists and the New Jeru Natives as a whole.  They’re going to be hard to stop this year and beyond with all of the talent they have and how they're channelling it into great projects.  Now my only gripe with the project is the fact that I’m a greedy ass music fan and wish it was longer, but they traded quantity for unbridled quality and it made all the difference in the world.

Rating: 4.80 out of 5.

Stream Boulevard Blues on SoundCloud here.