Prolific this year not only by the number of singles he’s released, but by the sheer scale in their stylistic push, the UK’s Jay Prince is yet again onto something(s) new. With an A-Side / B-Side going by the name of SOL, VOL.1, he’s again entrenched his aesthetic in the transcendent grey areas between the hyper-lyrical and the silky-smooth melodic. And with the help of longtime friend and collaborator, Kojey Radical, the lyrical lane feels particularly well driven. On THE WORD, featuring not only the permanently poetic, Kojey, but also the jazzy vocalism of Dani Sofiya, Jay Prince looks first to meaning in his work, crafting an eye-opening track on police brutality and its effect on the global black community.

 

With its accompanying single, GLADLY, Jay Prince etches his sound into a signature floaty cadence and pen-prolific exploration of hip-hop’s ability not only to evoke emotion, but to effectively push for change. With both tracks on SOL, VOL.1, Jay Prince finds a new lyrical stride at the hands of the pain and challenges this Summer brought into especially sharp focus, all the while growing as the wide-ranging artist he has always proven to be.