After random coincidence when getting a new music teacher his senior year of high school, who also happened to be a producer on the side, he was truly inspired to dive into the genre and make a name for himself. New York-based rapper Joey Jester has come a long way from “making beats with a table and a pen” and freestyling with his friends in class. Fresh off the release of his newest EP titled Oceans, he is here to claim his stake in the underground and get his sounds heard.
Growing up in New York City, the music scene is very competitive and it is imperative that as a musician, you stay true to your originality to separate yourself from everyone else. Drawing inspiration from some of the founders of modern-day hip-hop like Kanye West, Dr. Dre, and MF DOOM, he still finds originality in the studio.
Self-producing most of the album, the waves that come from the album hit you in the chest and the opening track is comparable to a tsunami. Bringing you into his world, the song Sunset (Intro), he raps the incredibly catchy:
“Shawty looking upset,
come meet me by the sunset
yeah yeah”
Drawing the listener into his mind with the opening track is key to making great music and Joey Jester nails that. The bass-heavy track set the tone for the entire project and his melodic flows serve as a prelude of sorts. Telling a story of personal growth via experience and relationships, he seemingly shares the raw emotions that he was left with after an ending to a personal relationship. Detailing the highs and lows in one’s emotional state after negative experiences, he bares his raw, inner state in the booth for all to see.
The production on the album, almost exclusively created by Joey Jester and producer camThemaker, is seriously incredible. Learning from his high school teacher, he really hones in on his craft, producing clean instrumentals and hard-hitting beats. Transitioning from the intro track, Jester switches up the flows on the next song igniting the booth with savage bars. High energy continues to come from Joey on Energy, the self-produced banger spits lyrics about his work ethic, his past relationships, and he talks down to everyone who is trying to bite and eat off of his energy.
“Y’all just feed off the greed
then y’all try to take my energy”
Unafraid to explore the sub-genres on hip-hop, Joey Jester experiments with several different sounds on this project. Switching effortlessly between singing and spitting heat, there is something on this tape for everybody. Two Nights (feat. Elaine Tejeda & Jodye) is a standout in the tracklist.
“Now I’m fishing in my wishing well,
Karma don’t wish me well”
The vocals from Tejeda blew my mind upon first listen and the closing verse from Jodye provides a refreshing aspect to the track as a whole. The opening vocals create a spacey ambience from the very first note and the vibes that follow compliment the mood of the song. Recruiting the right features for the Oceans release, they added so much to the track and Joey Jester allowed their voices to shine, bringing the project to an entirely new level.
While this project features a lot of high points, there also a few misses as well. On the Guilty (Interlude), while the production shines, there were a few vocals that came over as a little flat and ultimately hit the ear a bit awkwardly. Likewise, on the song Diamonds [Prod. Jo Ayee] (Jester’s production alias), while boasting incredible production, there are a few parts where the vocals didn’t quite measure up. When compared to the air tight flows and crisp instrumentals, it is clear that his singing needs a little bit further developing, but that is all simply a part of the creative process. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he will continue to grow and to further find his voice when in the booth.
Constantly working to improve his craft, he always starts with the beat when creating new music. Sometimes even freestyling to an unmixed instrumental, forming ideas in his head. Truly enjoying the process of creating stunning music, he takes his time and thoroughly plans out each of his moves. The energy and work that Joey Jester put into Oceans is evident in each and every track. Combining a flawless production style, killer flow, and impeccable story telling abilities, Jester is carving his own lane and is not about simply throwing together music.
Aside from a few minor faults, the New York-based rapper has put out a truly incredible project. Entertaining from intro to outro, his production is euphoric and is complemented perfectly with his choice of features. Every person that worked on this project had a clear goal when creating it and the end result is a great piece of music. You can check out the Oceans project below, give it a listen and tell us what you thought! Leave your comments and be sure to keep an eye out for his newest music coming very soon!
