On January 28th, 9Th Wonder's Jamla imprint will be releasing it's first compilation project, entitled Jamla Is The Squad. Over the years, the North Carolinian producer and entrepreneur has collected some incredibly talented and artistic musician, to create an staple of bonafide underground stars; therefore, its no coincidence that the upcoming album has a lot of people excited, especially given the high quality leaks heard so far. BJ The Chicago Kid and Add-2 take center stage on the latest high profile cut form the highly anticipated album, entitled "15 Minutes Of Fame".
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9th Wonder is never going to give up on the are of sampling, even if the rest of hip hop has slowly shifted away from the dusty vinyl sound, to the more polished sounds of computer based production—thank god for him. He has crafted some extremely soulful beats over the years, providing a place of sanctuary for those less inclined to dancing in clubs. However, his beats always sound fresh and modern, "15 Minutes Of Fame" is no different in that regard. It is reminiscent of R&B from yesteryear, but the way he incorporates Add-2's adlibs and some of the percussion follow the trends of today.
BJ sounds wonderful on pretty much everything, and smooth beat like this, has his name written all over. He brings an air of class and dignified cool to this track, that immediately puts money hungry leeches in their place. His performance sounds as if it were sung in a smoky jazz club in Harlem, during the 60's. Add-2 contributes a great verse, which is also concerned about dealing with fair weathered women. His "5, 10,15" hook is a simple, but highly effective use of the space and theme, if this song takes off, it will be the part the crowd chants. 2's light hearted personality and lyrical ability are both on full display on this one, which compliments BJ's suave persona really well.
This project is so close, but its still so far away. January 28th can't come quick enough, even though its less than four days from now. Jamla have a solid group of emcees,producers, and musicians, so Jamla Is The Squad is sure to have a lot of good tunes to vibe to and enjoy.