The underground hip-hop scene is dominated by a style that flips mainstream rap on its head. Spearheaded by artists such as MF DOOM and the late J Dilla, this unique style of hip-hop puts the focus on production value. Jeremiah Jae adopts the same flair of creating experimental, complex beats, but also adds enough lyrical exposition to make Good Times a solid release.
The album’s title is based off a ’70s sitcom that follows the life of a poor family living in inner city Chicago. As if the thematic intent of the album wasn’t clear enough, it’s littered with samples taken straight from the show. Jae uses Good Times as a testament to the difficulty of growing up in the unforgiving environment of south side Chicago, as highlighted in “Bad Times,” where Jae constantly repeats, “I’m just trying to make it out.”
An atmosphere of cynicism is seamlessly captured throughout the LP. Piano chimes and steel guitar riffs create a somber ambiance that builds a feeling of anguish with each impending verse. The prominent instrumentals in each song clearly emphasize Jae’s production-oriented style. He seems to take his role as a producer seriously, almost making it more of a main attraction than his actual verses—but that’s not to say his prowess as a rapper is of any less quality. His presentation comes off as very low energy, even depressing, but it only further adds to his charm. His disparaging style of rap permits more cohesive and expressive lyrics, allowing the listener to feel more empathetically connected to Jae’s messages.
Jeremiah Jae successfully created something unique with Good Times—a nice change of pace from the multitude of mainstream hip-hop. Hopefully there’s more room for stylistic producers to take the stage and launch the genre in a new direction.
Rating: B
