J-Live - S.P.T.A. (Said Person of That Ability)

1. As I Start (Intro/Skit)
2. From Scratch (4.5) - A more boom-bap version of J-Live. Nice.
3. The Authentic (4.25) - Keeps production in check. Nice to see more interesting production from J-Live. Love the outro, but the single should have made the album.
4. Watch Sun Watch (feat. YC The Cynic) (3.75) - Decent song marred by a mediorce hook.
5. How I Feel Pt. 3 (4) - Nice beat; lyrics somewhat forgettable.
6. The Me And You (feat. Anneice Cousin) (4) - Feels like the grown-man version (read: more R&B-ish) of "The 3rd"
7. No Time To Waste (4.25) - Nice track, but...octopus porn?...
8. Pronounced Spitta (4.75) - Near-perfect J-Live battle track.
9. Life Comes In Threes (feat Rasheeda Ali) (5) - A good instrumental on a modern album? Wha?
10. Great Expectations (3.75) - Kind of a departure from the rest of the album. Not sure if it's good or not, though.
11. Poetry In Ertia (feat. John Robinson and Marq Spekt) (4.75) - Solid beat, solid rhymes, and I love me some John Robinson.
12. Home Or Away Remix (4) - A nice track to begin rounding out the album.
13. Half A Glass (feat. Lyric Jones) (4.5) - Love the beat. Nice contemplative track.

J-Live is one to envy in the hip-hop world. After being fucked over by the industry, he's always kept himself true, always staying focused on crafting his next masterpiece. Whereas previous J-Live albums have been a bit of a drag in terms of production, S.P.T.A. shines in that department. I'm used to J-Live albums being laden with intricate lines yet sparse production, but the production here is borderline excellent - it really adds live to tracks like "Start from Scratch" (a great intro track, by the way). And it's not all produced by J-Live, either, so the cohesion the album shows in production is even more surprising. It's great to hear an artist who grew up and made music in the second golden era come back and instead of just complaining about the state of hip-hop, actually craft something that intelligently pays tribute while keeping a look at the future. There's evidence all throughout the album. The little Pete Rock-like instros at the end are like the icing on the cake after a great boom-bap track. It's a return to no-nonsense hip-hop crafted by an intelligent artist who has come back with his most focused and cohesive album to date.

Sample Tracks

"From Scratch"


"Pronounced Spitta"


"Half a Glass"


Beats & Production: 9/10

Rhymes & Lyricism: 9/10

Originality & Creativity: 9/10

Overall: 91%

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