Jammz Steps Up with “Hit and Run”

East London emcee Jammz stands out from the pack of emerging grime youngers with classically-tinged production and uncut bars.
By    April 6, 2015

Front CoverSon Raw is a serious thug

In case you haven’t clocked it, I strongly recommend Fact’s Next 10 grime emcees to break through. I have my hands full debating Kendrick (good, too long), Bronson (dope rapping, poor singing) and Earl (love it) with my esteemed cadre of rap maniacs here at Passion of the Weiss, and covering the instrumental scene eats up most of my writing time, so I don’t always fully follow up grime’s vocal underground. This is a convenient way to catch up on who’s making noise while Boy Better Know’s on stage cheesing with Kanye.

Of all the emcees named, Jammz seems like the surest bet to make noise on a higher level. He’s unavoidable on radio, omnipresent on Twitter and balances street bonafides and an appreciation for grime’s musical history and aesthetics far better than most. His Hit then Run EP features the requisite banger–the self-produced title track mashes up about five grime classics, but it’s the b-sides that’ve really grabbed me and highlight Jammz’ full potential. “Round ‘Ere” features the best Nautilus flip since Danny Brown’s “Pac Blood” and the kind of observational writing that highlights life in the hood without glamorizing crime, a tough balancing act. Meanwhile “128 bars” has the kid spazzing over a Spooky beat soulful enough to catch the hip-hop crowd’s ears, should they hear it. Definitely a release that leaves you wanting to hear more.

Download:
MP3: Jammz – Hit then Run EP



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