There are very few things that are more talked about in Hip Hop than what Hip Hop ‘is’. Everyone has their ideals and opinions on the matter, old and young and all in between all have differing things to say about it. Cue Jam Baxter and Jon Phonics to completely push all the boundaries with this release, Fresh Flesh. A phenomenally unique piece of work that is certain to be incomparable to basically everything else this year/most years.

Jam Baxter is someone who shatters the walls of anyone’s expectations of a rapper and in doing so has become that rarest of things – someone who very almost quite nearly everyone rates highly. Hip Hop is such a competitive scene it’s not often people agree on someone so widely. ‘Fresh Flesh’ continues to cement his ability to turn a phrase in such a way you have to check it back a few times to truly get it, and his seemingly inability to speak in normal sentences. Hahaha I jest, but it needs stressing that the way he words things is like a computerised thesaurus of slang and scrabble demolishing words. It’s really, really hard to try and tell you about the subject matter of this EP because of his fondness for mind bending imagery, but I’d say it’s like a melancholic psychedelic monologue on humanity. If you’ve heard him before you should understand that. Plus for me to go into interpretations of these tracks lyrically would be quite the task and it’s better you listen with your own ears to this mad genius.

Baxter never seems to go for the obvious beats, and with Jon Phonics production on this you can see why. Phonics comes with his electronica style production, but with Hip Hop veins running through it, creating an ethereal and airy landscape that goes from minimalist to head noddingly neck wrecking in the same track. His contribution to ‘Fresh Flesh’ is far more important than many producers who just do the same thing over and over. His part in this is perfectly realised and it’s clear to see why people have been salivating for more from these two since Baxters appearance on Phonics ‘Half Past Calm 2’ back in 2010.

Listening to ‘Fresh Flesh’ is so easy due to the calm nature of it, from start to finish its a complete work of art. I don’t know what they do in schools these days but if they aren’t teaching Jam Baxter in English lit and Jon Phonics in music class then they’re missing a trick. The fact that this was written, recorded and mastered in roughly a month shows the level of talent herein. This is bound to become a lot of people’s favourite release this year and sure to become the soundtrack of many a late night/early morning blazing chillout. Reviewing this has been one of the greatest pleasures it’s been of mine to do so. Plus given it’s my first review of something Jammy B put out you’re lucky this didn’t descend into an essay on why I think he’s one of the best haha. Get this is you like something different and you really appreciate writing and production. High Focus again with a big big release.

Words; Adam

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Jam Baxter & Jon Phonics – Rush

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