JMAC the Dragon - Fire Sign (EP)
No disrespect to the great Busta Rhymes but when I think of dragons, I immediately think of JMAC & his latest EP, “Fire Sign” is yet another example of how he’s one of the most ferocious MC’s of our time. You can always count on JMAC to overload you with bars on top of bars but the difference here is that, even with the high level of emceeing he exhibits on these 4 tracks, it’s not overwhelming & in fact, it’s actually quite infectious, like lyrical exercises you can actually sing along to & I’m not at all surprised with how much love the opening single “way up” has been receiving, as soon as I heard it, I knew it was gonna be a crowd pleaser & not only that, but I think this is one of those records he’s gonna have to perform for the rest of his life & career, it’s just that damn good, as he effortlessly annihilates both his opponents in his so called peers & the audience alike. It’s a bit of a full circle moment for me too as a fan of both him & AJ Bray, who produced this by the way, as the first time I recall catching wind of both artists was back in 2019 with the single “Wurk”, which this record is honestly, kinda in the same vein in terms of its turn upness.
I had a feeling he was headed in this direction musically after his feature on Aye Cue’s “Nightlife” & honestly, I’m not mad at it, as it just goes to show, he can make the same type of music some of these cats make & better. On “baddest in the city”, he crafts a subtle banger that the women will surely appreciate, as it not only will empower them but he’s also speaking about this particular woman in the most respectful way, not to mention his impeccable flow on this, as he runs through all the reasons as to why she’s caught his attention in the first place. “best at it” also continues this theme of admiring the baddies & ain’t nothing wrong with that cause fellas, if the ladies fuck with your music, you’re doing the right thing.
He closes things out on yet another high note, with the celebratory “full cup”, another one of them ones to keep the party going. All in all, this is some of the best music JMAC has blessed us with, as the songs are not only great songs but his rapping is as sharp as ever, proving that even if he’s making some more simplistic music that’ll definitely have the clubs erupting, he still chooses never to sacrifice the skill that got him to this juncture in his career. I’d say this marks a checkpoint in his!