J.Rvrs is an upcoming rapper from hip hops current hot zone, Buffalo, New York. Joining a line of other talented visionaries, the 21-year-old has put his blood, sweat, and tears into his craft, and its lead to the release of his debut EP, The Artist. In a genre that’s only getting tougher to stand out in, can J.Rvrs prove he’s the future?
Through seven tracks, J.Rvrs vocals are filled with passion and swagger. From the attention-grabbing intro “Caught Up” to the climactic outro “Move Around”, there’s a handful of moments that showcase the raw skills that could end up taking J.Rvrs to heights unimaginable. “F**k Quarantine” was a surefire standout as there’s a decently executed concept focusing on the detriments of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even with these brief elements of dominance, there’s still a lot to be desired, especially in the creativity department. Between the lifeless delivery and botched autotune on songs like “Bleed It” and “Rr”, it makes you wonder, why am I listening to Rvrs out of the thousands of other guys doing the exact same thing. Fortunately, I don’t think this is a deal-breaker as other songs like “Sins” take bold jabs at mental health and self-torture, adding some truly interesting elements to the mix. In all its glory, “No Luv” is easily the energy J.Rvrs needs going forward as his emotional delivery and heartfelt songwriting will captivate any listener. As a whole, there’s certainly talent on display, but J.Rvrs suffers from staying too bound to the current mainstream quota.
Behind the boards, theres a well put together but plain score backing the words of J.Rvrs. Following a pretty repetitive formula of starting songs off with a dramatic build-up and then having them unfold with a standard trap drum pattern, it gets sickening hearing this for nearly 20 minutes straight. This pattern isn’t always as bland as previously described as certain moments like the strings on “Sins” and piano on “No Luv” add some much needed emotional suspense. Out of all the instrumentals, the lo-fi “Move Around” is the definite highlight in this batch with its intuitive drum pattern and well-looped guitar riff. Similar to its vocal counterpart, the soundscape on The Artist is not bad, but with as little creativity as here, this style will only get you so far.
In conclusion, The Artist isn’t the statement piece J.Rvrs may have expected, but this doesn’t mean his skills are illegitimate. When it comes to the 21-year-old rapper, his skill set is undoubtedly there, but with the vocal range and the demeanor he brings, J should aim for something much more out of the box than some traditional trap songs. Going forward, I hope J.Rvrs can take these criticisms to heart and use them to perfect his next effort. If you want to stay updated with this talented up and comers journey, be sure to follow @jdotrvrs on Instagram!
Rating: 3.0/10
Pros:
- Raw skills are present
- Hit making ability is there
Cons:
- Little to no creativity
- Doesn’t think outside the box
- Similar sound to countless other acts
