Last week we were blessed with a remix of Big L's anthem, "Put it On," handcrafted beautifully by the 25 year old Maryland beat maker J1K. I have been following J and the entire Producers United team for a while now, and I am certain with the release of J1K's fourth and final free mixtape 'Walk to Nowhere' their paths are about to grow wider.
J1k's versatility in is production is similar to an advantage, being that he utilizes a variety of different samples and sounds for each creation. I enjoy his mix tape more and more as I'm introduced to beat after beat, thoroughly embarking on a new journey with the play of each track. J uses a lot of "old timey" horns, strings, and piano in his melodies, adding an authentic and almost visual aspect to his music.
It's unusual for music bloggers to highlight hip hop instrumentalists, but my deep roots in the earlier Kanye productions and styles like Buckwild have allowed me to shed light on the subject. J1K perfectly showcases just how diverse and musically talented some of these hip hop producers can be. J is also currently working on finishing up an old school remix album with Jay-Z, Nas, Tupac, and Big L on his projects. 'Walk To Nowhere' is the followup to his last two tapes, Cruisin and Dark Forces, which both received 50,000 plays and counting.
Make sure to grab the entire mix tape on J1K's bandcamp page, and check out his latest remix of Big L here.