By Sup y’all! I’m checkin’ in to let you know about a new album from one of the masters of modal jazz and hip hop fusion Jun Seba.
Better known by his musical alias Nujabes, Jun’s life was tragically cut short from a car accident in Tokyo more than a year ago. The entire hip hop community was shocked and mourned the loss of such a great talent. He was a vibrant being with an incredible imagination who always kept it real.
Even though the producer is gone, his supernatural sounds continue to bless us with his third album, a posthumous joint called “Spiritual State” put out by his independent record label Hydeout Productions.
You can hear classic boom bap and jazz hop instrumentals on this piece. Hydeout affiliates Uyama Hiroto (produced some music for Final Fantasy), plus verses from some of the dopest emcees Cise Starr (CYNE), Pase Rock and Substantial pay homage to the late great brethren.
When Cise Starr spit this part of his verse in “Sky Is Tumbling,” it gave me chills after hearing the lyrics: “I am the star child/Sightless/Going beyond the song/Timeless/Write righteous/But what’s left is really priceless.” With “Feather” off “Modal Sound” as one of my life’s anthems, hearing Cise over a new Nujabes beat was fresh.
Pase Rock’s verses on “City Lights” were lyrically my favorite part of the album. The rhymes from his first verse, “On the side of good people/Always set the record straight/Round n’ round the piano keys meditate/Filtered in the music need it now/I can’t let it wait,” sparked memories of jamming with my friends and playing on my parent’s piano, which are my forms of meditation.
Substantial has always had some really cool hooks, especially from his debut album “To This Union A Sun Was Born.” In “Spiritual State,” Sub’s best hook in “Waiting for the Clouds” has the lyrics: “Waitin’ for the clouds to part/Waitin’ to be out the dark/If our future’s right then the present is an overcast/If we want it to be over fast, let’s shine.”
The album released overseas in Japan, so you would have to import a copy, which I can guarantee is well worth the hefty price. Cop a copy because of the ill lyrics and lush beats. You won’t regret it. Word is bond.
