Jesty Beatz wanted to prove that he was more than just a producer, and after listening to his third album, We Run Blocks: Jack City
it's easy to tell there is more to the artist than just laying down beats.
The 20-year-old - sittin' wit' musicians they got plenty of Greene begins in the introduction. Plenty thugs
plenty drugs -yeah
I seen it all before. Many thugs
many mugs -I don't really want no more. And while there are notable stretches of autobiographical rhymes -You Should Be
PSA and Dead or Alive come to mind -more than a few tracks leave a desire for more information and fewer shout-outs.
Still, the personal qualities of Greene's lyrics coupled with an eclectic mix of beats provides an enjoyable 47 minutes during which anything should be expected, from guitar riffs on The Answer to Billy Joel mixes on Oughta Know; it is a veritable collection of samples.
The album's biggest highlight, though, is that it doesn't boast a true hit. Greene sacrificed having one sure-fire club favorite similar to his As I Am or Wit Ya Bad Self for a stronger album. For the long run, it was a risk well worth taking.
Jack City is an album difficult to turn away from, and one that new and old Jesty fans will enjoy and listen to more than a few times. It could also end up as the album that establishes Greene as a risk-taker and alters his entire career.
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Matt LaWell
