Chapter Four: Who am I? by JD - Album Review

Chapter Four – Who am I?

By

JD

Album Review

This album is the fourth release from Derby emcee JD who has really established himself among the cream of UK emcees in recent years. JD’s lyrics always come with a very deep feel that shows a consciousness of the current situations.

Chapter Four – Who am I is part of a series of releases that act as a kind of roadmap that we can experience as we move through life and the struggles which we can all face at one time or another and yes this includes the political struggles  and how the governments try to control how we live our lives.

So, let’s take a trip through the album and see how it speaks to me and this will hopefully give you a feel for what it will say to you...

 The album eases you into things with the reflective Intro - Who Were You. A heavy beat with a smooth horn vibe that invites you to not live in the past but, to be reflective and remember who you were, who you and who you want to be. Now you are in the right frame of mind the beat hits for Built Through Pain and its proper banging with some deep choral vocals to give it that darker feel. The track feels like it is exploring how our lives and even the countries in which we live are built on a foundation of pain, either enforced or self inflicted but, it’s important to remember that how we walk forward from that foundation is way in which we use that pain to transform ourselves for the better by using the light to transform the darkness. Thinking on from that point of transformation, just how great is Great Britain? Taking a smooth jazz fuelled track JD shows exactly how the default setting for many in this country is not a pretty picture and consists of racism, fast food and obnoxious behaviour. Many of us have transcended this behaviour but, it is a sad fact that it is still prevalent out there in our society especially among the far right and change is needed.

Now it’s time to take a short look into how our present society attempt to shape who we are through a variety of different mediums on the skit The Shaping. However, as JD says, through all this you must remember who you are inside and hold onto that because that part of you cannot be shaped and will help as you walk forward in life. It’s time to chill things out a little with Mirror Mirror (feat Sara-Louise), now this might have a more chilled out feel on the beat and features some beautiful vocals from Sara-Louise but, the message is no less strong that what we have already heard as we take a trip through JD’s inspirations and the things that remind him of this in the form of physical and visual reminders such as Tattoo’s and scars. Next beat transforms to an far eastern feel with Samurai which takes you on an Art of War feel as the vibe of this on as about struggles in life and how preparation, knowledge and defence, stepping back into the shadows, can be the best attack.

Hitting you with banging soulful vibe of Nowhere, which is uplifting track that explains that negativity is something you don’t need in your life and if it tries to find you and invade your energy, there is only one place it can find you and that’s nowhere. Run Away drops next with a guitar heavy multi-faceted beat and explores that fact that you are the architect of you own dreams and outcomes and sometimes you may need to turn you back on certain things to ensure you bring those dreams to the forefront. Forgetting is a short skit which looks at the way we will change and forget who we are due to peer pressure and wanting to be part of the crowd and not to be looked down on for the things that make out heart sing. Don’t forget those things that you truly love for they make you who you are and others look down on you for that, it’s because they are missing a part of themselves...

In to the penultimate track, Who you are. This one brings a refreshing laid back head nod beat for a track which invites you to dig deep into yourself, find who you are and stand up for that no matter what’s going on around or what others think. Into the final track Before its Over, which looks at current events, the fake and controlling media, the darkness behind it all and the fact that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that is really living from the soul. You need to remain free and that true freedom comes from living from inside, from the soul.

We are living in crazy times with no real reference point to help us through but, there is a way and this album looks at and invites us to take a long hard look at life around us and also at ourselves. It is important not to be fooled by fake news and the controlling media or the governments who seek to control and mould us to their own models of what society should be. To break free of this we have to look deep inside and remember who we are and life from that soul, the root of who we are and were destined to be.

JD has crafted a unique intellectual vision of a path that you can choose to walk to take you forward in life to a brighter future and in crafting this he has joined with Bunker Beats who has provided the perfect musical sound-scape for this chapter.

At first glance it might feel a bit dark but, it only creates that illusion of darkness in order that you can see the light.

I really recommend not just this album but, all four chapters. You should also check out JD’s other releases as there are a few there and all worthy of having in your collection. He has everything available for free or at a name your price cost and I would say that it is worth dropping a few quid for anything you buy as you are supporting an independent artist who is not in it for the money but, for the love of it and that alone is deserving enough.

 So, huge thanks to JD for asking me to review this album.

I’m out people,

Steve   

Buy Chapter Four: Who am I? on Bandcamp Here - https://jdrap.bandcamp.com/album/chapter-four-who-am-i 

WHO AM I? - Official Video