J-Carter – “Hip-Hop Til I Die” (Album Review)

J-Carter is a veteran MC from New Jersey. Towards the end of the previous decade, the now renowned rapper grew a sizable fanbase from the success of projects like “Im Still Here” and “Take Hip-Hop Back”. He has just released his brand new album “Hip-Hop Till I Die“, which contains a whopping 48 songs. With a project, this bloated will J-Carter’s new record be a cash grab or a massive expression statement?

Despite being a proven and talented MC, the large mass of tracks makes it hard to pinpoint J-Carter’s redeemable qualities. Throughout the record, we see topics like police brutality and self-worth discussed, but it nearly impossible for Carter’s powerful ideas to push through due to the landfill of bland and generic tracks. On the positive side, his lyrical ability is great as over and over again, we see J-Car string a series of obscure words and phrases together. One of my biggest issues with the entire record was the strange vocal and feature placements. Some of the singing was horrific, and the guest appearances didn’t feel well placed for the most part. Cuts like “Leave Me Alone” and “Im Spitting This” were energetic but the overabounds of each type of song makes every moment lose its distinctiveness. As a whole, there are solid moments on “Hip-Hop Till I Die”, but they are hidden in what is a clump of predominantly forgettable songs.

Sonically, the album suffers from the same issues it does vocally. From the get-go, we see an array of beats ranging from boom bap to trap. While some are well-crafted and intricate, most of them play it super safe. This issue plagues the nearly three-hour event as most of the album feels like a giant clump of sounds. Since there is over 4o tracks detailed with a plain sonic pallet, it makes it nearly impossible to sit through what was already a tedious listen. All in all, theres not much else to say about this mediocre soundtrack. 

In conclusion, “Hip-Hop Till I Die” is one of the most confusing records I have ever heard. While there was talent behind the album, making it have such a long-running time kills its momentum. I mean this project is longer than most modern movies, which is absolutely ridiculous to think about. While the album is not my favorite, I can still recognize J-Carter as a gifted artist in this game, and if you want to see what he does next, follow @jcarterrocks on Instagram!

Rating: 5/10

Highlights: Lyricism, Flow Delivery