Jo Well Stars as a Lion

An AntidoteRace plays as much a part in hip hop as any other genre. It's not to say that that's right or wrong - everyone has some preconceived notions about other people as a result of interactions or experiences. And who knows, if you cross the street one night 'casue of all of that, it might save your life. Or not. Either way, it seems as if Jo Well hasn't been afforded the same sort of hype or press as other newish emcees of a darker complection. Of course the new West Coast rap cognoscenti, led by Blu, is rife with talent that not too many folks have. But a different shade of brown has and always will be an integral part of hip hop culture. It's a universal medium at this point - and it should be all inclusive. Asher Roth, though, might on occasion, think about keeping his mouth shut.

Being a part of the Antidotes crew, Jo Well shouldn't be an unfamiliar name to folks following the rap game - or the innernuts. Already having struck up a relationship with Goon Tracks, which is outta Japan, the crew's released a full length. And probably due, in part to this, Jo Well is poised to release a disc via the same imprint.

Leading up to that and serving as an enormous advertisement for that proper disc is the mix tape entitled Welcome to the Jungle. Hailing from Southern California, the Guns N Roses reference is as overt as one should expect. But the music here doesn't borrow from rock tropes - for the most part the samples, provided by Antidote crew member Mark Fader, stay in pretty traditional underground rap territory. Perhaps that should be some gauge of how the raps and the entirety of the disc are presented. Nothing that Jo Well touches up in his verses is really all too distinct from other rap stalwarts.

That shouldn't dissuade listeners from copping this disc. And especially if you fancy yourself a proud Californian, Welcome to the Jungle is geared towards you. As the aforementioned Blu graces a track here - "Pearly Gates Mash Up" - the emcee examines his upbringing, how his family, while religious, trafficked in tobacco. It's a genuine look at his background. But oddly enough, Jo Well doesn't take a verse. Instead he just gets an assist on the hook. This approach, though, probably again points to Blu's rap acumen as much as anything else.

In addition to that guest spot, Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas is featured on a few tracks, again pointing to the Cali bent to this mix tape. The difference between, not just Blu's flow and Taboo's, but also Jo Well's approach to rapping is exaggerated on "Alright OK" as the production seems detached from some of the other beats represented here. The other BEP related tracks are sadly enough, probably the low points of this offering.

Regardless of that momentary misstep, the hour of music that Welcome to the Jungle holds shouldn't be passed up. It might not announce a new direction for the genre, but it does amply introduce a talent that people will hear from again.