His bio reads model, actor, artist, and poet, encapsulating his diverse creative expressions that span multiple disciplines. But it is only after you’ve listened to his craft that you begin to grasp the tremendous talent Washington-born, DMV-raised JJ Sam possesses in his arsenal. He describes himself as a storyteller; an artist who is always coming up with ingenious ways to tell and package a story, aided by his poetic excellence. For anyone fascinated by the fluidity of artists such as Cole, Lamar, 6LACK, or more old-school rappers like Pac, you will find his artistry instantly identifiable. The calmness and composure that he exudes on the mic is more guaranteed to leave a listener gobsmacked but in a truly exciting way!
Putting his astounding storytelling skills to the test, JJ Sam is here with a 5-track EP dubbed “Aloof” that follows a personal experience and emotions with a somewhat obsessive relationship from a close female of his who also had a close cousin that ultimately, JJ Sam suspected was with the female. I feel like the last track, “Fin” perfectly encapsulates this situation.
“Aloof” begins with that undeniably tasty and colorfully memorable “Anecdote” that has a far-reaching appeal thanks to its genre-bended innovation. The track features the haunting allure of ambient music with the strikingly mellifluent organic feel underscored by the charming guitar melodies at the intro right before the enticingly familiar hip-hop beat is unleashed, backed by the lyrical preparedness of Sam, delivered with such poetic flair. You can clearly feel that his verses are from the heart as he wears his sleeves, their weight accentuated by the thought-provoking command of language and intricacy. Safe to say he’s a superstar in lyrical fluidity with quite the performance that leaves a lasting impression from the first listen.
“Loiter” is another bona fide that continues in the elegance of the first jam. Here, JJ Sam literally picks your brain over such a delightfully smooth and sweet-sounding key-laden production as he creates an effortless cadence with his impressive knack for relevant words that perfectly fit to the track’s notion.
With “Obsessed” featuring female vocalist Brenny, JJ Sam can’t help it but take a listener to a nostalgically familiar golden age of hip-hop and R&B. The track has a soulful vibe that is glaringly obvious as Brenny injects it with some R&B syndromes with her catchy hooks, whilst Sam’s profound lyrics underscore its ballad quality. For anyone out there in love and they feel like nobody comes close to that special person in their lives, this is the ideal tune to play as you head out on that date or if sharing music is your love language…either way, it will do the part and convey some pretty romantic words on your behalf. The track’s soulful and effortlessly smooth demeanor is guaranteed to hit your right in the feels.
“Obscure” is quite cinematic and a prime example of Sam’s delivery prowess. He starts so calmly and composed over a gentle foundation, reaching the soul with his warm words before morphing into this mildly intense poetry as he bares his mind for the listeners on the other side, taking them on a stroll under the warm gaze of the afternoon sun as introspection raves wildly free!
“Fin” is the certified climax to an otherwise pensive journey, and it is here that JJ Sam’s storytelling panache truly shines as he tells the story from the top to bottom, with an unexpected twist integrated over a dense hip-hop beat that works well with his spotlight-stealing performance.
And oh! In case you were wondering, Sam’s got the distinct voice that works perfectly well with his kind of music, distinct and unmistakable with an authentic timbre that is uninfluenced by sound processors—as crisp and lucid as you’d like!
That said, allow me to introduce to you a distinctive work of art in “Aloof.” Enjoy!
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