JAH - And That's Ok (Album)

Why not come right out & say it, you’re never going to enter the circumference of JAH, “And That’s OK”, there’s no need for you to, she’s on her own planet. If you haven’t been keeping up with her incessant promotion leading up to this poignant sophomore effort, I’d say to revisit her conversations on Tea With Tami & The Ginn Podcast for a little more insight from her on this, be it before or after you listen. I’m sure we all know that today is the anniversary of Drake’s classic “Nothing Was The Same”, an album I’ve honestly barely come to actually live with & admire this year, forgive me but this couldn’t have been better timing. As she stated in, I believe at least one of those conversations, this album is not just one she holds dearest to herself, for nothing has been the same for her on her turbulent journey up to this point, but today is also her 24th birthday so again with the timing of this, it’s all fallen gracefully into place.

JAH opens this chapter of her life on an ominous note, immediately adding fuel to the fire as she gasses through this introduction, she’s fired up, from all the naysaying nonbelievers & phony passerby’s & she’s poking her motherfucking chest out & standing tall in her pride, moving much more than mountains in what I’d say is a peak performance from her lyrically, if you didn’t already know what’s she’s capable of in that area. What’s admirable about this intro however is, her openly admitting her toxic behaviors & her repeating those three words after stating her activities, “on the low”, is almost like her own voices within her head telling her, “yeah, do that, cross that line!”. The gusto that she’s rhyming with on here tells me that she has no regrets over how things have played out, everything happens for a reason right? She wouldn’t just cut out the deadwood for nothing, there’s no room in her garden for rotting logs. They may continue to say whatever they please as if they know her in the slightest but you better have some self esteem or her smoke is gonna cause you to choke on your words.

The airy poignancy of the record to follow, “To Deanne” brought tears to my eyes with the ambience of both the production & her voice, she has a very soothing tonality throughout her vocals, as well as in general, which we get both being that her style is quite conversational if you ask me, whether she’s crooning or simply speaking. At first, I was thinking that, Deanne may have been another girl she shouldn’t have mentioned & maybe she is or maybe it’s a new fling, I hate assuming, but upon several close listens, it seems she could be speaking to herself, the individual behind the masquerade of JAH. The raw pain weaved throughout that 2nd verse showcases someone who’s had their glass heart shattered on numerous occasions, yet has always somehow managed to anneal every last piece of it firmly together. The vibes are so warm in their soft reminisces as she takes a long look at her reflection on this introspectively easy listener. It’s like her spirit is standing outside of her body as she gently lays her person down to rest, she needs nothing more. It’s nice having someone to hold or someone to hold you but at the end of the day, it’s usually our reflection that we have to look at so I’d like to think she’s feeling more comfortable being alone with herself, she still has some things to figure out as she moves forward with her soul searching.

I don’t want to give away any of the samples, I feel like that would take away the fun of people figuring them out for themselves but on “Daddy’s Lil Girl”, which is one of the standouts on this record & also my favorite being that, that’s my favorite song on “Nothing Was The Same” but also cause I was able to almost live vicariously through her honesty, being that our lives so deeply correlate in terms of, dare I word it in such a simplistically ridiculous way, daddy issues. It’s so frustrating when you try your damndest to not wind up like a sorry excuse for your father figure but in the process of that, realizing that you’ve been directly mimicking their behaviors, the same behaviors that turned you away from them in the first place & sometimes, you’re not even aware of it cause you’re just so lost within that brain fog. The only other person who’s gotten me to personally confront my own issues with my father is Khali so I commend her on her bravery in being such an open tome about this painful aspect of her life cause, judging by her storming out the booth before she broke down emotionally, it wasn’t easy at all. It’s always tricky as an artist too cause sometimes your truth involves other people & they may not like when you cast them in a bad light or air out their business but if this is the healthiest way she knows how to deal with it then I believe it’s her right & so does she clearly.

Goddammit JAH, “Lost Connection” got me wanting to over analyze my recent breakup with my only real girlfriend, although there were others, who all cheated, only one sexually & maybe that’s why, never mind, I’m digressing into my own personal life but that’s how powerful the music is, that it almost made me go on a tangent like this is about me. Anyway, anybody who’s been through a similar situation to hers on this unfortunate record, knows how fucking awful & traumatic it is to experience firsthand, I can’t see anybody keeping their cool in a scenario as such. She’s the one who’s been creeping on JAH, yet she’s the one accusing her of intervening once she gets suspicious, the fucking audacity. She is hurt but she’s not speaking with animosity, it’s more so just frustration as to how someone she’d do anything for, even sacrifice her life for would do as they have done. At the very least she deserves an explanation, even though she may not ever receive one cause as we all know, people owe us nothing but she ain’t the one to let you off the hook so easily, regardless if it’s still love inside her for you, you can’t just keep hurting people & getting away with it. This record just proves how words just get in the way, it’s your actions that really hold weight.

With “Frustration”, JAH takes the time to vent out her gripes in not only her life but this juncture in her career as a creative. Needless to say it’s been one hell of a learning curve for her as she figures out her way around these situations, even taking accountability for her own shortcomings. She even expressed gratitude towards the people who helped mold her into the hardhead she is today, people who’ve had her back through it all so she vows to hold it down while they are away doing their time. There’s a lot for her to be frustrated over but it seems to only be more fuel for her fire, whether it be friends turned enemies or family, she’s endured it all & now it’s time to throw it all back in their faces.

On “Speak My Language”, we get JAH finally choosing to toss that humble shit out the door. For longer than I’m sure she cares to specify, people have underestimated her skills as an MC, maybe they’re too used to hearing her talk strictly about girls she shouldn’t mention, which, she can rhyme about whatever the hell she pleases & that’s clearly a big facet of her life. But on this record, she decides to pop her shit off with this lyrical flexercise, proving that she can easily rap circles around most with ease. I’ve never really heard someone rap with such viciousness yet still be very nonchalant in their delivery of it, she’s snarling like a little pitbull on this warped banger.

Recruiting Nhamo & ZHURI on “Lost Love 08’”, we get some more introspection but more so on a storytelling standpoint. JAH is speaking to her ex & she is speaking back to her, both remaining at bay as they air it all out. It’s a damn shame how people let other people interfere in their relationships, how it can never just be the two parties involved, they always have to invite ants to a picnic & let these outsiders dictate how we choose to live our lives & who we choose to live them with. Clearly her friends weren’t really fucking with JAH & were probably all up in their business with the intent of splitting them apart & it seems to have worked unfortunately. I do find it very mature of her to still have this love for her in spite of all that’s happened, in spite of the fact that she has moved on from it & I believe that’s why she’s still able to acknowledge the love she felt for her at a time but that is now lost so she can remain in the background where she belongs & accept that she let go of something special & let’s just say that finding a replacement just might be near impossible.

On the outro, JAH is asking all the right questions. She’s no longer allowing space in her life to those who don’t benefit her life in any which way, who don’t accept her for who she is, flaws & all now that she’s learn to accept & forgive herself for her pitfalls in life. Even when the people she held dearest to her folded, she still remained loyally dedicated to them & that just shows the kind of real individual she is & you can tell she’s still hurt by a lot of it cause who wouldn’t be? A lot of people like to take advantage of good people & it is what it is, JAH is at a point in her life where she’s no longer taking shit lying down, if there’s an issue, she’s addressing it right then & there, no more dancing around it. Jah may feel underrated & she is to a certain extent, criminally that is but her willingness to show a little versatility, especially in terms of subject matter & not only that, but her undeniable skills as a lyricist, both of which are showcased flawlessly on her magnum opus here, will for sure center the focal point onto her.