Album Review: Marvelous World of Color0
Posted by - In Music, Reviews
We’ve reviewed Jason James and Rodney Hazard’s collaborative effort God’s Favorites (here), and we’ve just finished an interview with Jason James himself (here), and now we’re back to give our opinion on his and Rodney’s most recent release, Marvelous World Of Color. The album is 14 tracks of free-for-download goodness, and Tiffology and I split them down the middle, so let’s just jump right into it.
Tiffny
01: Enter: The Marvelous World [4/5]
I wasn’t expecting much as it’s just an intro but when the track started, I was immediately drawn to the beat. It’s almost got a “Bollywood” feel and then the guitar comes in and I’m like YES! Jason’s verse (I’m almost tempted to say WEB) is super pressing and delivered with such urgency that you get a good idea about how the album is going to grab you. What could have been just any old intro, is actually pretty worthy of being a full song and I can only recall one other artist who has made me want a full song from an intro in recent memory.
02: The Architect [3/5]
OK, the talking in the beginning of the track had me getting Inception Flashbacks. The whole thing about sleep = time travel thing? LOVE. And while I don’t know if that’s Jason speaking, it’s a good touch (Is that you Jason?). Anyways, the actual song is pretty cool. The beat is pop-ish, however, with Jame’s sing-rap over it, the vibe is more relaxed. I like that it’s got this audio collage of different thoughts all colliding into one in between each verse…almost like the chorus.
03 Basic Instructions [N/A]
More talking. I think this is going to be a theme with the album…I like it. It’s something different than I’m used to. It’s funny to me when the guy says “for all their devoted attention, you animals don’t actually care about you [...]” I’ve been saying this FOREVER! Made me think of Camille’s song Cats & Dogs. Anyway, yeah, not much to say since it’s an interlude.
04: Great Escape [4/5]
The beat! I’m not sure if I’m hearing it correctly, but I think it’s the same beat from the intro…played backwards (minus the guitar). Maybe, maybe not, but I love it! I don’t know why I’m so surprised, given Rodney Hazard’s track record with their past releases…but I’m always hypnotized by his beats. Moving on, Jason’ lyrics make you listen. They make you think. I’m listening to the lyrics and again, not surprised given the score, but thoroughly pleased by Jason proving that hip hop can be intelligent, and thought-provoking.
05: Fame US [5/5]
Probably my favorite song on this album.Another backward beat that’s haunting me. Lyrically, Jason seriously sums up the hyper-reality that our society has become.”For three easy payments of your mind, body and soul, you too can be famous, idolized, appreciated”. It sucks because that’s what it comes down to, especially with all of these “reality shows” selling fame like an infomercial, and how we buy into it. It’s sad. Jason hits the nail on the head, holding up a mirror to our obsession with celebrity: Rhianna, Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan…the list goes on. The media has completely warped how we respond to situations that would normally cause concern, we now seem to thrive off of the downfall of those in the spotlight. “Everything that means you’re human slowly slips into regression.” This line can be looked at from the POV of the celebrity, yes, but also from the POV of the fan. I feel like I could go on about this song forever, but I won’t. I’ll just say that listening to this song makes me sad, because it’s so true.
06: Better As You [3/5]
Yeah. This song is really interesting. Basically to sum it up, the song pretty much lets us girls know that we need to be ourselves, even when it’s the hardest thing to do. Feel good song with raw lyrics, I don’t have really much to say about this other than that I wish more guys would tell girls what Jason is saying. Oh, one line that I thought was interesting: “Said she only dated Brothas, didn’t fuck with Africans, and I was like ‘Damn, how ironic is that.” Ironic indeed.
07: If It Feels Right [4/5]
This beat. I want to live in it. Second favorite song on the album, and I’ll tell you why. Progressing from a general ‘get twisted’ angle, to social observation, the first two verses of the song had me nodding along like “yeah” and then the third verse kicks in. I was like wait-what! Probably because I was so into the beat, that it didn’t completely register what was going on. But when I replayed the track and forced my mind to come back to the lyrics, I got the mean Grinch smile when I actually heard the third verse the second time around. Overall, the song is great….specially the the robot voice in the chorus.
Tiffology
08. Ain’t Gotta Go Home [3.5/5]
At first, I wasn’t really feeling it. But after the first minute and a half passed by, it settled in. The beat was real gentle, and powered by finger snaps. He mentions that it’s just for the night, and follows through with: “I’ll look under the hood, but I ain’t buying the car. I’ll drive it around, but I ain’t gonna keep it. Maybe down to roll, but for now let’s keep it a secret… you ain’t gotta go home.” So with that, I take it that the song is about a friends-with-benefits or one-night-stand thing. It starts out as a good, enjoyable night with a girl and then leads into something more sensual and sexual, with no strings attached.
09. The Program [5/5]
“Human life falls away from the basic theme // So far it almost feels like it’s make-believe // We all slip so seamlessly, manipulated by tv screens // Big Brother brainwashin us secretly // Messages in the television frequency // We’re now part of the machinery…”
I listened to this track about 15 times before I went to the next. Eyes closed, head-nodding to the dark, gloomy beat by Rodney as Jason leads me through his view of the dangers, and downfall, in our world today. It touches on various subjects such as: the uncertainty in life, drug trafficking, the way people know more about what goes on in reality shows (and other tv shows) than with what’s going on in the real world, etc. I give this powerful track two thumbs up. And towards the end of the track, it breaks into a chunk of a news program talking about Islamic terrorism.
10. A View of the World [5/5]
“Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And they will my name’s the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
That’s said at the very end of the track, and if you’re familiar with “Pulp Fiction”, you’ll remember that same quote is said by Samuel L. Jackson’s character. I think it ties in well with this song, as it deals with issues of race and hatred. In the second verse, Jason talks about boys who take that path of beating and degrading girls. The girl grows up with self-hatred, and doesn’t know her own worth. She hides behind materialistic items, and continues to allow a wealthy man to beat on her. In the third verse, he sheds light on the violence people create because of a person’s choice of religion. Like a group of people that witnessed, and didn’t help, a man being killed because of his beliefs. This song is filled with strong emotion and truth. Another good one.
11. Back Again (ft Bryan Perry) [3/5]
A singer by the name of Bryan Perry features on this 1:34min song alone. It’s an easy concept. I’m sure plenty of people, not just music artists, have been picked up from the ground by some good music… the kind of music that inspires you to keep pushing forward. It’s a nice, little song… wish there was a little more to it.
12. Go [5/5]
I think a wide range of artists can relate with what’s said in this track. I’ve known a few people that have contemplated giving up their dream of making music because of the troubles they go through. Being so close to that dream, but feeling like the work they’re putting in isn’t getting them anywhere — Unable to make money off of what they would love to do for a career. And not in the way that fame or money would change them or their music, but just being able to live comfortably and receiving positive support that’d reassure them that their work is being liked and listened to. Or having their music being over-looked for the “shitty” music that’s being force-fed by the mainstreams (which makes one question if they’re as good as they think they are), and so on. But the fact that it’s your dream, and it’s what you love to do, you want to try to make it work.
13. Promised Land [4/5]
Both the beat and the lyrics have a happy vibe. To me, this song seems like a continuation of the previous track, “Go”. I took it as… Jason feels that he put his all into his work, and if he has to move on to something different (a new path), he’ll be ready. For example, he’ll be satisfied with what he contributed to hip hop. I don’t know if that’s what the track is about or not, but that’s what I interpreted it as.
14. Exit – The Marvelous World [5/5]
You know an artist did something right when they’re able to evoke emotions from you. Listening to this song made me get teary-eyed and miss my grandma who died of breast cancer in ’96. In this final song, Jason asks that we all appreciate and remember those who are no longer with us, as they’ve “gone to a world with brighter colors.” Heart-felt words over a piano backdrop; it’s beautiful. “My memories of her // Wouldn’t let us come and see you // So we think of you the way that you were // Eyes blurred in our last conversation on the phone // Holding back tears just trying to stay strong”…
*****
As you can see, overall, we’re pretty impressed with the album. Make sure you download your (free) copy and visit the links provided for more of Jason James:
DOWNLOAD MARVELOUS WORLD OF COLOR HERE
Jason James: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Bandcamp
Rodney Hazard: Twitter
Rodney Hazard
