Jaden Smith Cool Tape Vol. 2 (Review)

There have been so many artists that have had dreams and aspirations of doing the best they can and being the best they can be at their craft. Dreams alone cannot and will not get you to your destined arrival but perseverance, sacrifice, and a hard work ethic are fruits of a determined and dedicated mind. Today we are reviewing Jaden Smith's release and offering, Cool Tape Volume 2. This album is remarkable in lyricism and also shows that talent and poetic maturity comes in all shapes, forms, sizes, backgrounds, and ages. For Jaden Smith to still be true to his art regardless of the silver spoon in his mouth is a remarkable feat. His upbringing is not an insult, it is a story he often expresses in its most troubled state. Not only does his lyricism show depth and other-worldly creativity but it also displays the raw and unadulterated love and casual life that this young man endures.

It would be an understatement to say that this album is creatively futuristic and truthful to the bone. As we go through the album we notice the first song called "Fire" which is a hot (pun intended) turn up type of track including the lyrics, "If the party's on fire then I prolly (probably) lit the match." And in this saying the song is a blazing introduction with a modern rap bass beat and a revolving thumping sound that will drive you into a party-like atmosphere. "Let It Breathe" featuring his younger sister Willow Smith, is an ethereal rap ballad where we see Jaden at one of his most vulnerable moments. Regardless of which lady he was addressing in the song, we know that when you are in relations with one of the Kardashian-Jenner sisters, a great album and vulnerably piercing lyrics are the product. He expresses deep remorse and provokes sorrow in pain of rejection by this 20-year old woman while displaying emotion for all the people around him that claim he is overreacting to the idealistic view of a serious relationship.

Before I continue, I just have to say that there is no cursing or profane language in reference to this whole album. Yes, the tracks have an innovative and yet old-school sound that pushes everyone of all ages to dig it. And the better part is that you can play this album around anyone. Your grandma wants to try out Jaden Smith's music? Does your little sister love rap with a passion? Refer them to this album. I will be the first to tell you that I fall into great ecstatic feeling for artists, especially rappers, who don't use profanity or vulgar language in their art because its shows that the artist is intellegent in his/her craft and that they possess a wide range in vocabulary and responsibility for the audience they hold.

We then see stand out tracks such as "Electric" that tells the tale of electric love in using technology to test a lover's loyalty and dedication. The beat and melody reminds one of an advanced futuristic recharged Super Mario Bros. theme song on steroids. This track was told to be produced by Jaden himself and if this holds true, this young man is more talented than words can describe. Another great track is "Symba" which takes you into a world of galactic space ship sounds. The melody sounds like a distorted engine of a spaceship yet it clings to that old school hip-hop sound his father Will Smith was often known for in the 90's.

All in all I give this album a 4.2 out of 5. This album is sonically worth more than any of his previous offerings and today's mainstream offerings combined. The lyricism and fusion of old-school yet futuristic beats really takes the album to heights unknown. The storytelling and conveying of emotion brings the album to drip in saturation of emotion and teenage feeling. The reason of the 4.2 is not because of fault with the album but because he can move on and grow to more political and spiritual depths in his music lyrically. His music yearns the need for stories of lessons learned and education of the youth in how he is slowly changing the music industry. Not only is this album beyond value but guess what? It's totally FREE and available for download on Jaden's app labeled "The Jaden Experience". If you want to learn how to distribute music and pay your dues as an artist in the righteous fashion, learn from this kid. He doesn't have a record deal though he could get one easily and on top of all of this, he offers a fully worthy album for FREE to all consumers. I hope you enjoy! Comment and tell me what you think about this offering.

-Peace, Love, and God Above