Jagz is OTW With “What You Need” EP (Album Review)
A few years ago I heard a rough mix of what would eventually be Jagz’s debut single “Thankful”. I remember being at a loss for words. Shocked and in awe. How could someone I knew personally have ability like this? It didn’t make any sense to me. We crossed paths a couple times in school, but it was the music that really brought us together.
I remember hearing “Thankful” and thinking “he’s got it”, whatever “it” means. I know that shit cliché but if you listened, you would know what I mean. Nobody does it like Jagz. I remember being like this is the best rapper I ever met, he just needed some beats, and Tef makes hitters. I’m never gonna try to bring people together if I don’t think they’re dope. But that was not something I had to worry about when I asked these guys if they wanted to link. A couple cook-up sessions later, Tefera Beatz got a placement “155 Greaze”, the intro track to Jagz’s first EP What You Need. The piano sample got Jagz in his introspective bag, but as the trap drums hit Jagz picks up the flow and gets incredible bars off his chest. There’s not a single line on this track that you wouldn’t rap along to. To rap catchy verses is an incredible feat, something that Jagz can already do.
The What You Need EP was curated out of an archive of Jagz’s music. Some songs he’s had for weeks, others for years, now he’s sharing them with the world. Jagz's focus has always been quality music, and he’s proved that with every one of his releases. With this project, he even shows off the range, which is crazy because we know how much more he’s got… It’s ridiculous lol.
The title track “What You Need” follows the Tefera-assisted “155 Greaze”, and is probably my favourite song on the tape because of its energy. It is almost a juxtaposition to the intro beat, as its got more of an old-school bounce allowing Jagz to slide on it with a fun flow and an infectious hook, “what you need, duffle bag c’s”. It’s impossible not to bop to this.
Jagz continues to show off the range with “Ain’t Trippin” and “Animals”. Who the fuck else is able to body beats like these? “Ain’t Trippin” literally doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before, it’s aggressive and intimidating, but Jagz had no problem going berzerk catching the most impressive flows that I’ve ever heard. “Animal” is another one. I’ve known about this track for a while, but it still doesn’t make sense to me how Jagz decided he wanted to absolutely murder this UK drill vibe, YEARS AGO. This is the kind of beat that no one would willingly rap over, unless you’re Jagz, and have unlimited potential.
The last song on the 5-track EP, “We Ain’t Gotta Talk About It” is the seemingly perfect outro track. A little more poppy in nature, but is still a hip-hop love story, with story-telling verses over a tumping beat. The song even includes a mellowed out conclusion, which ties out the EP perfectly. Even this early in his career, Jagz is more than a rapper, he’s a musician- with an incredible ear and taste.
Who you know that makes music this good, this early in their career? Who raps as well as he does, talking about what he talks about, over beats that sound like this? We’ll wait, but Jagz is already On The Way.