Jaydii – Funny Storm Vol. 1
Jaydii – Funny Storm Vol. 1 – Album Review
This man right here has kept the world waitin’ a minute or two to say the least!
Alright…I guess it’s only been a couple of years. I tend to get impatient when I run into artists that have the wild caliber of skill that Jaydii has I suppose…y’all know I like the good stuff and just want more of it, because I’m naturally greedy when it comes to the music I dig on. As much as I might want an artist like this guy to release a new song every second Wednesday, two years really ain’t that long to wait in the grand scheme of things…and at the end of the day, I’m just happy he’s still out there doin’ what he does best. I reviewed Jaydii’s album Vibrant Summer back in September of 2021, and he made our annual top ten list in that same year – rest assured, I do not ever forget the people that make that list y’all. As far as I was concerned, he earned the accolades, and deserved a lot more of’em from the rest of the scene. Here’s to hopin’ this brand-new record, Funny Storm Vol. 1, helps him make even more noise out there.
In my own strange roundabout way, I’m simply trying to say this is one of the most highly anticipated albums I’ve been personally looking forward to is all…and I’m confident I’m not alone in thinking that. From the flow of the “Imperfect Storm” that starts out Jaydii’s new record, I feel justified in constantly looking forward to whatever this guy comes up with next…dude’s got a ridiculous level of talent, and he puts that through the mic from moment one on Funny Storm Vol. 1. Once he gets rollin’ with his words, he wields the momentum like the asset it really is. I’ll say this – funny is a malleable term…it can mean several things. I felt like based on the album’s art and the typical association with what funny means to most of us, I assumed jokes would be some of the first things we heard – but that ain’t the case. Funny Storm Vol. 1 ends up revealing a much more serious vibe than you’d probably think it would based on the same things I just cited. It might throw you for a second or two and cause you to adjust any of your expectations as to what you were about to hear, but as long as the quality is there like we can hear that it is right from the drop of this first cut, I think that’ll always matter more than any wisecrack ever could.
“It’s just fun to do it big when they’re hatin’ on you.” #DamnStraight! “Friends will come and go” like the man himself will tell ya on “Tippy Toe.” Jaydii proves he’s still a master of the m-i-c by track two y’all – he’s a rapper that just gets what it’s all about, know what I mean? From the energy he brings to his bars, to the flavor he adds to each syllable he’s spittin’ – Jaydii knows how to make the most of the opportunities and music that comes his way. Do I wish this guy would make tunes that are over two minutes long? Yes. Yes in fact I do. But he ain’t here to cater to me, and I’d be the first person to tell ya that short cuts are what’s happening out there in the scene right now anyway. I’m old school…from the days where you’d hear a track as good as “Tippy Toe” and instantly feel like it should be twice the length that it is. So play it twice! I know I have. I mean, if that’s the way we’re supposed to judge a track, this cut should be like, forty minutes long at this point after how much I’ve listened to it, and I still don’t feel like I’m done with it…so maybe it should be even longer. A bright combination of swagger and style that you genuinely feel…I will happily take what I can get…if it’s a minute & fifty seconds, then so be it, I’m in and I’m here for it. “Tippy Toe” has got that fresh feeling to it…a vibe that you instinctively want to bump loud & proud, and believe me, you will. Jaydii’s got a solid grip on the kind of music he works with best, and this second track confirms he doesn’t miss when it comes time to perform as a result. He comes fully equipped with mad microphone skills and the kind of professional preparation that makes the difference & sets him apart from the rest of what’s out there in the independent scene/Rap game.
Are you “ready for it?” Jaydii drops his most arguably single-worthy cut of the first three tracks on “Money Drawer,” which features his longtime collaborator Blvff in the mix as well. With everything sounding right & tight from the start to finish, listen to the way that the man on the mic does his thang will ya? Jaydii understands the rhythm and pulse of dynamics y’all…he knows where to let the energy dip and break it down just a lil’ for ya, and he knows where to shift gears and let the syllables do the work too…he truly gets how to use the music to his advantage. He’s lettin’ it breathe and responding to what comes at him by going where the music takes him, you feel me? “Money Drawer” seems like it’s a fairly logical extension of the vibe we heard on Vibrant Summer a couple years back…a bit more chilled out and controlled to a degree I suppose, but the skills and sound still possess serious similarities. Plus, you had Blvff make an appearance on that record too…I have the feeling that if Jaydii hits the big-time like he should, he’s the kind of dude that’ll take the whole fam along with him straight to the top. He’s got his game completely sharp, his hooks on-point, and the accessibility turned up high on “Money Drawer.” This has got that sunshine feeling to it…there’s just something about money that really puts people in a good mood, like we experienced here in Canada with Jelleestone back in the day when he dropped “Money Pt. 1” – check it out…if you dig on “Money Drawer,” you’ll probably dig that track too.
Where Jaydii will prove he’s one of the best in the game in any corner of the independent scene today is on “Glorious Halftime.” For real – dude’s got bulletproof bars, and I think every single set of ears can hear that. It goes deeper than that though…from the energy to the pronunciation, to the precision and the clarity – it is RARE that you’ll hear as many words spit atcha like you’ll hear on “Glorious Halftime” and feel like you could either memorize the whole rack or write’em down, you know what I mean? Personally, I really dig that…and honestly, I think it’s incredibly important. Think about how many rappers out there have put in a ridiculous level of effort into making sure their lyrics are as tight as they can be, only to spit’em out in a hot mess of shit that can’t even be understood on a universal level – I don’t wanna sound like that old dude, but it’s like every third song. Jaydii ensures he’s the antithesis to that – and considering how many words he’s put into a track like “Glorious Halftime,” it’s nothing but impressive y’all. Trust me, you’ll know what I mean when you hear it for yourself – Jaydii has got very precious little surrounding him music-wise on this track…”Glorious Halftime” is basically just the man himself alone in the spotlight, supported by a little bit of jazzy sound around him, and he is mesmerizing dear readers, dear friends…dude’s at the top of his game on this cut without a doubt. “I am a man of my word” – or in this case, words. Jaydii has “impeccable aim” and puts on a clinic for how to get things done & handle your verbal business on a professional level, giving you a cut that’s more along the lines of something you’d hear on a Chance The Rapper record, which last I checked, is always a good thing. It takes some real cojones to rap on a track as bare-bones as “Glorious Halftime” is, but that’s just the thing – when you’ve got the kind of skills Jaydii has, you should have the same confidence he does in knowing that you can pull it off perfectly. “Sometimes you just gotta open the door& walk through it.”
It’s awesome to hear the man back in the fine form we know he’s capable of, never having lost a step. If anything, Jaydii makes it hard to argue that he’s moved forward all that much, because that’s how damn good the guy was to begin with, you follow me? He’s made a smart pairing with Miles Hadley at the helm to produce the record…Funny Storm Vol. 1 sounds solid from start to finish, and no detail has been overlooked – I appreciate albums like this that make sure the material is maximized to full effect. Where you’ll hear one of Jaydii’s most decisively different cuts on this record is on “Graze Shot” – from the way he raps to the rhythm of the flow, this feels undeniably fresh and new for the main man on the mic, and once again, he proves he’s capable of handling any beat that comes his way. All-in-all, I kind of feel like what we hear on “Graze Shot” was my impression of what we were gonna find on Funny Storm Vol. 1 before I’d pushed play – but while this becomes more of a rarity in its vibe in comparison to the rest of this set-list, don’t mistake that for any kind of complaint, because it ain’t. Ultimately, I think Jaydii put this track in the perfect position to make a memorable impact on ya by putting this giant stormin’ beat after the spare sound of “Glorious Haltime” right beforehand, and the switch in the whole approach and vibe you’ll find makes “Graze Shot” impossible to miss. You factor in the wild degree of stuff goin’ on in the background & you’ll discover there’s something to keep you entertained goin’ on from every angle.
Don’t think that the man don’t get amped-up when the moment calls for it y’all. I know, I know – it seems like nothing can really rattle the natural charm and chill of Jaydii after everything you’ve heard – but buckle the fuck up homies…Jaydii will take things up a notch on “Take 5” and give you a dose of his more intensely aggressive side. There’s a lot to dig about the way this track moves from the very first moments you’ll hear, but I’d be straight up lyin’ to ya by omission if I didn’t say that it’s actually the repetition he uses in the finale that creates the most memorable highlight you’ll find on “Take 5,” and perhaps even the record itself arguably. You see folks…when you’re looking at things objectively and doing your best to figure out what else you can bring to a record that you haven’t yet, then you start putting the music together like pieces of a puzzle, and add in everything you want to make the whole picture crystal clear. Jaydii gives you that missing piece here, and basically jumps on the mic like he’s going straight into combat, slaying a series of syllables on the way to shouting out the finale after making each and every second of “Take 5” increase with intensity from start to finish. It’s that last twenty-five seconds that’ll prove to be the most unforgettable part without question, but considering the song is about 1:45 in length, that’s practically a third, or at the very least a quarter of the whole cut. It sounds a bit thin in the spot that it’s in on this album’s set-list wedged between “Graze Shot” and the remix of “Glorious Halftime” that finishes off Funny Storm Vol. 1, but intensity & verbal-venom wise, if you’ve ever thought about crossing the man, you’ll rethink that plan after listening to “Take 5,” 100%.
I am more often than not extremely wary of including any song twice on any record in fear of burning out something great twice as fast, and even more cautious when it comes to short albums like this one – BUT…if you’re making sure that the differences are justified and undeniably noticeable, then it CAN work out. “Glorious Halftime (Remix)” is practically a revelation on how to do it RIGHT y’all…like, I was pretty much amazed and in awe of this second variation if I’m being real with ya. I don’t think I made it any secret that “Glorious Halftime” and its original version was already one of my favorite tracks on this record…so…believe me, I fucking BRACED MYSELF when I heard the remix for the first time, because Jaydii had a real chance to sour things for us if this didn’t come out different enough, you feel me? I never had any reason to doubt the man, and ultimately I didn’t – but I should have realized he’d use the opportunity to excel and propel his material to another level too. It wasn’t just a matter of not damaging a great song, it truly became about tackling “Glorious Halftime” from another angle entirely, and I gotta say…this electro-based remix completely hit the spot. “How you gon’ top this?” is asked, and before it’s all over, you get the answer – “YOU CAN’T!” I’m inclined to agree. Jaydii finishes this set with a track that exceeds all expectations, which ain’t exactly easy to do considering the song already appears in the lineup earlier on! Hell, it should be impossible when it comes right down to it…but that’s just the thing about this emcee right here…he’s built to rise to any challenge and make music that hits different for all the right reasons. Funny Storm Vol. 1 is comprised of solid material from beginning to end; it’s awesome to hear the man comeback to the game with such a strong record and keep the quality of his material up to the high standards we know and love him for. This guy’s still locked firmly into his prime without a doubt, and considering there are more volumes of this mixtape series to come, it’s equally rad to know he’s got a whole lot more music planned for release…no one does it quite like Jaydii does it, and he’s still undeniably at the top of his game.
Find out more about Jaydii from his official page at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaydiimusic
Find out what we do & how we do it at sleepingbagstudios, and be the next up on our pages by clicking here!
