Hip-hop fans received one heck of a shock this week when Jay Electronica chose to drop a whole lot of material on streaming platforms. However, what's most exciting are two new projects that released yesterday (Friday, September 19) for his 49th birthday that are sequels of sorts to his 2020 studio debut.
First, there's the more long-form A Written Testimony: Leaflets, which includes new material alongside collaborators like DRAM and Quentin Miller. But we also got a new EP of five tracks to enjoy titled A Written Testimony: Power At The Rate Of My Dreams, which includes contributions from Westside Gunn, Hit-Boy, and Dr. Wesley Muhammad PhD.
As expected, this new small project contains dense lyrical references, compelling rhyme schemes, and further connections to the first AWT sequel. In comparison to some of Jay Elec's more brash or grand material, this has a lot of the same speech samples and religious allusions, but with drumless soundscapes and a generally meditative feeling.
Jay Electronica's recent musical output also saw the streaming release of his Act I and Act II projects, as well as a couple of other rare artist collaborations. We used to have almost nothing on DSPs from the New Orleans lyricist, so fans on those platforms are very happy.
We will see if this means we will get a wholly new rollout, album, or something else from him in the near future. Maybe this is just celebrating a 49th birthday in style, but we know there are more gems, too.
Jay Electronica – A Written Testimony: Power At The Rate Of My Dreams
Tracklist
1. Civilian Life Is Nothing
2. Ashes To Ashes (with Dr. Wesley Muhammad PhD)
3. Best Wishes (with Westside Gunn, Hit-Boy, and Dr. Wesley Muhammad PhD)
4. Blood Libel. Who's That Lying On God? (with Dr. Wesley Muhammad PhD)
5. BIG Baby Jesus
