Chicago lyricist, Just Adam has been a consistent force on the world of low-fidelity hip-hop lately, releasing a prolific barrage of tracks and short projects over the past year or so and introducing himself as more than just another talented wordsmith. The effortlessness with which his delivery drives new project, Buckets – which is more of an ode to basketball-themed projects of hip-hop’s past than actually being one itself – makes for one of the most easy-listening 15-minutes of 2019. Lyrically-endowed but calm and collected in his delivery, Just Adam makes rapping seem easy. Buckets interweaves a complimentary list of producers, in particular Chromonicci with two credits, that deliver jazz-inspired, low-key compositions signature to Adam’s career work and true to his old-school approach. It also folds into the mix a pair of rap features from Flex and Darrion that do a good job of upping the energy and adding some textural juxtaposition to Adam’s own aesthetic. 

 

All in all, Buckets comes together as a necessary reminder that the mellow yet explosive lyricists that have always existed in hip-hop’s underground are still very much a presence, and Just Adam, with a knack for a timeless sound, will continue unearthing deeper success with releases like these.