LOOKALIVE! continues Jadasea’s consistently great streak of detailed, refletive raps over moody experimental instrumentals

London-based emcee Jadasea has been making some of the most dreamy and introspective hip-hop I’ve listened to in the last few years. The beats on his albums are always soulful and experimental in their compositions, with his introspective raps taking center stage, painting vivid pictures of his state of mind, through flows and wordplay that capture his live experiences poignantly. He’s already released a handful of stellar projects that have propelled him further into the limelight as one of the most talented artists coming out of the UK in recent years. LOOKALIVE! is his new body of work – 15 tracks of incredibly dense and fascinating beats that are brought together by his sometimes subdued presence.

Thematically, and as with other Jadasea albums, LOOKALIVE!‘s focus is on being able to live and experience life in the present, with him alluding to how hard work in this music industry has enabled himself to find freedoms he didn’t think were possible. It’s uplifting hearing him talk throughout the album about his own journey, and the opportunities he’s been able to get as a result of his talents. The beats on here are crisp and incredibly dense with inctricate and futuristic electronic beats that are just so fucking good. I often talk about how music can sometimes transport you to certain places and environments, and Jadasea’s albums are often exemplary of this, especially this one. The darkness and gloom of a lot of his music, aided by his nonchalant, often hazy raps paints a perfect picture of South London by night, an often depressing and sombre sight.

Throughout these 15 tracks, and with the help of a few features (redLee, Elijah Maja, Jesse James Solomon and Nigz TG), Jadasea is able to effectively take me into his own state of mind, with instrumentals that are moody, intricate and experimental, making it a perfect fit for Jadasea’s reflective, witty and clever lyricism. Go support!