Jerreau - Never How You Plan

Jerreau
Never How You Plan
2016
Spotify

Jerreau was once part of the Columbus Ohio rap trio Fly.Union however He has broken off and now is doing things on his own. Never How You Plan is filled with introspection, clear ideas and a look at a life in hip hop that we often don't see. On "Really Got It" you can sense the reality of what He is saying, it comes across as wholly authentic. The themes are quite generic, however their delivery and honesty are what set Jerreau apart. There is also the production, provided by some of the Fly.Union crew as well as a few others, which shines throughout the entire 14 tracks. The beats have this really crisp quality which pairs well with Jerreau rapping full voice, not relying on autotune or overdubbing for the most part. Sports is a central theme for the entire record using analogies of basketball and tennis to describe his situation. It allows Jerreau to play with a massive cache of vocabulary that other rappers don't use all that often. You can't really call Jerreau underground because He has toured with Kendrick's label and been on some bigger stages, but his sensibility stays there. Throughout the record He keeps the emotional heart strong so that each one of his songs connect on a very visceral level.

Lyrically what Jerreau does is quite the feat. There are double meanings, jokes but very rarely digs on other rappers and it gives the record so much more lightness. The issues and emotions Jerreau is going through provide the depth, He doesn't need to fake it with bluster. The only issue this causes is most of the album is super positive, and that one note never fades. You are wanting Jerreau to flip it every now and again just to add some variety but that never comes. "Love For You 2" is sweet and delicate, but almost clawingly so. This may be in part due to Jerreau's lack of features. With only two collaborators the voice doesn't change enough on the album. The idea of a singular voice is one Jerreau is running with and that is a good sign for things to come as He continues to develop as an artist. What this album really shows is that Jerreau is not afraid to take his own path a la Anderson .paak or Katraynada even though his results are not as transcendent as those two. This is hip hop that you can add to your summer playlist, it's meaningful yet light enough to just lay back and vibe to. A really solid first effort from Jerreau and a sign of great things to come from the young rapper.

8.0 out of 10