Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based alternative hip-hop artist JIREH introduces his brand-new EP, B-SIDES, a fusion of alternative hip-hop and rap, exploring themes of love, self-reliance, and self-assurance.
JIREH shares, “I hope people have as much fun listening to ‘B-SIDES’ as I did while I was creating it.”
A native of Baton Rouge, JIREH started rapping while in high school, utilizing equipment his father and brother gave to him. Since then, he hasn’t looked back, releasing “Percy Mill$” in 2018, followed by a series of contagious singles, including “EASY,” “SPINNING,” and “Parking.” In 2022, his EP, Quit Playing, captured the attention of the hip-hop community.
Comprising eight tracks, B-SIDES begins with “FYE,” rolling out on a fat, pulsating rhythm featuring a thick, walking bassline. JIREH imbues the rhymes with both rapid-fire rapping and smooth, melodic interludes.
Entry points include, “BACK,” featuring Los Kemet, which offers an R&B-flavored tune riding a thumping kick drum and an evocative, graceful piano that gives the song gleaming textures. Low-slung and drifting, this track conjures up a delicious, sensuous motion.
A personal favorite because of its slow, undulating movement, “2 MUCH” travels on a subterranean bassline as JIREH’s soft, tender flow gives the rhymes captivating flair. A floating, glittering piano imbues the melody with alluring accents, suffusing the song with sumptuous elegance.
Hints of jazz and a skipping beat, along with scintillating surface tones, make “Cough” a dazzling addition to the EP. On this track, JIREH’s flow achieves deluxe phrasing and nuanced tonal inflections.
Another favorite, “RAPPER WEED” oozes contagious style – a mid-tempo beat highlighted by a massively walloping kick drum, vibrating bassline, and a crisp, thwacking snare. JIREH struts his gift for rhymes, as well as his polished flow over lusciously quivering synths.
JIREH has it going on! With B-SIDES, he injects hip-hop with a unique southern flair, giving the genre hints of old-school savors amid alternative flossing.
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