Stilo Jordan - From The Wayside (Album)
No regrets. That’s how Stilo opens up his sophomore effort. Though depression & anxiety are ever so present, permeating the room in which he’s having this deep conversation in. The interviewer could almost even be his own conscious, questioning himself whether or not leading himself down this garden path was worth it. It’s hasn’t been all glitz & glamour that people make this game, even life in general out to be. Most people on the outside looking in can’t grasp the fact that, people they put on such a pedestal can step down to be on a level playing field with them, they’re human too after all, they feel the same things, go through a lot of the same things we all go through. The older you get, the more jaded you become, I believe but despite him expressing his fears, he’s faith is never wavering & to open this album with this much vulnerability, we’re in for an emotional roller coaster.
Stilo can feel the negative energies breathing down his neck, “Paranoid” that the shadows lurking about are gonna catch up to him eventually. A lot of them have already unfortunately but the better angels of his nature emit a white noise too overpowering for the evil spirits to bare. He’s waxing his poetry in motion ever so eloquently, gracefully rising above the negativity, looking down on the adversity he’s had to endure & smiling with glee knowing he’s steadily moving up that inclination, to altitudes nobody can reach him at. Ominous the Monster slides in with this bassy flow that adds so much more soul to this record & his verse essentially is a summation of the record’s thesis, masterfully executed at that.
Love will break down even the strongest of foundations, like it’s entire structure was made of the brittlest material, shale if you will. It’s funny how you actually do notice the red flags when they first present themselves to you but you’re usually just so, lost in that infatuation that you choose to see them as green. He was willing to have his name dragged through the mud & the muck to prove his love for this woman, even after the first backstabbing. It’s probably just that delicate glass heart of gold he has that he unfortunately allowed her to take advantage of but even after everything, it’s still all love on his end & though bleeding, he’s learning to anneal without her. It’s amazing though how God has a way of not only helping us maneuver through these tough situations but to reward us at a time we least expect it.
God must’ve let him go through that heartbreak only to send an angel “From The Wayside”. Stilo would like him to know how much he appreciates it & even more so, how grateful he is that this new woman has come into his life to simply add to it. He’s only wishing to do the same cause every king needs his queen. Isn’t it beautiful what a good woman by your side can do for a man? His glow on this track is so radiant. That fervor grows fiery on the Diversid assisted cut “F.U.T.W.”. Both MC’s are burning brightly & demanding that respect by commanding this record like the generals they are. They have many messages for everyone, from the doubters to the leeches & they will heed every single one, one way or another.
He’s been on his grind “For A While Now” & even though he’s growing tired, possibly the fibromyalgia cause these rappers be getting on his nerves, I don’t blame him either, as he previously stated, there’s a lot of smoke & mirrors you find navigating this industry but he stays making his moves, treading through these dark places to find his light cause he’s just that determined. He started with a “Dollar N’ A Dream”, now look at where he’s at. Not necessarily where he wants to be but definitely a far cry from where he once was. E. Twiss comes on this record so tidal wavy. His flow is so warped, perfectly in sync with this dizzying production as he takes this time to be openly blunt about what his aspirations are. After many talks with those better “Angels” of his nature, he sounds ready to stop staring at that halo that fell off his head long ago, “Pick It Up” & stand under like God intended.