Justme: Emcees for Jesus

The inclusion of some higher power in music is realistically the basis of all American styles of song. From field hollerers thinking about a promised land to blues, soul and Bob Dylan’s ill advised flirtations with being born again, religion is an omnipresent force in beats, rhymes and life. Even those trumped up award shows feature ‘thank you’ speeches that include some mention of G-d, even if it’s coming from the most unlikely of sources.

Hip hop isn’t any different. And while most folks couldn’t readily name a host of performers that are explicit in regards to their worshiping habits in song, Mars Ill comes to mind pretty easily. In that, though, a lot of those songs only include vague mentions – at least the ones that I’m familiar with – of that supposed, powerful source. Considering the talent inherent in that crew, it doesn’t matter, though.

Much the same can be said of JustMe, a SoCal transplant and current Kentucky resident – that’s correct, Kentucky. A portion of the state, though, does boarder Cincy – and we all know what’s come outta that berg. Having come up on the West Coast, the emcee has not only had a hand in the game for a good amount of time, he makes frequent reference to his adoration of each tenet of the game. Experiencing everything from horrendous loss to internet notoriety, JustMe made that cross country move to raise his kid and further immerse himself in the church

Any passing listen to JustMe’s new full length long player, Before the Twilight, makes plain the debt that this emcee and producer owes to the golden age and ‘90s rappers. Coming in with jazz, soul and enough above boards production work from Commissioner Gordon, which might be one of the best names in the biz, most of these tracks work out. But the overt religiosity, at points, makes this difficult to digest for some of the uninitiated.

On “Dues and Don’ts,” the rapper recounts his history as plainly as any one sheet (that’s some promotional swill for you non-industry types) might. The plainly boisterous moments here are weighed down by its obviousness, but made more than enjoyable as a result of that solid production via a Batman character.

“Children of The Light,” which comments on the greed and gluttony plaguing most of the ‘merican populace isn’t different than most other rap tracks that make mention of these issues. But the repeated references to that higher power on top of the already heavy handed proclamations serve only to weight down an otherwise buoyant track.

Elsewhere, though, JustMe makes amends for such blatant grand standing by figuring that it’s alright to listen to Calvin Broadus, Jr. And while that’s humorous to say the very least, it’s more than commendable that this emcee makes an effort to attempt to bring everyone in under the tent of an all consuming hip hop. All invited might not want to attend, but the fact that JustMe makes that effort is more than notable.