Jern Eye - Vision
In 2009 the MYX Music Label has embodied the fighting spirit of underground Hip Hop. Following in the footsteps of acclaimed releases by Keelay & Zaire and D.Black, the limelight has now shifted toward Jern Eye (a.k.a. Small Axe), who is ready to share his Vision with the world. Leveraging intimate ties with legendary local icons like Souls Of Mischief [click to read] and The Pharcyde [click to read], Jern has been a name to follow in the Bay Area’s independent scene, making waves with his Lunar Heights crew. At a time filled with corporate-influenced music, Vision has set its sights on forging Hip Hop back into an era of non-compliance, when artists stood for something and every track had intent.
Although marketed as a “continuation” to Authentic Vintage, Jern Eye’s latest is somewhat of a 180° in terms of production and guest features. For his debut, Jern handled 80% of the production and had minimal features. Whereas, Jern Eye co-produced a single track on Vision (“Pleasure Of Love”) and opened the floodgates to eleven non-Lunar Heights collaborations, including Guilty Simpson, Mistah F.A.B., Zumbi (of Zion I), and Cali Agents. Very beat driven, Vision boasts top notch production by some of the nation’s most respected beatsmiths such as Jersey City’s Illmind, Seattle’s Jake One, as well as label mates Keelay & Zaire. However, Jern’s Tom Tom Club-sampled track feels obscurely out of place, failing to mesh with the overall theme.
The project’s eclectic beats sample a widespread range of genres including new wave (“Pleasure Of Love”) and Country Rock (“Something’s Wrong”), while holding true to golden era Hip Hop. Additionally, Vision incorporates signature production techniques such as scratches by Lunar Heights’ DJ Icewater (“Change”) as well as the usage of crackling sound effects (“Now,” “Vision”), painting the imagery that the album is being played on vinyl.
While Authentic Vintage was self-admittedly crafted with little guidance, Vision illustrates a more conscious and focused Jern Eye, thanks to the executive production of MYX President Karim Panni. Such development is epitomized on “Get Right,” a star-studded lyrical bombshell about mastering mental perception in order to elevate through life’s struggles. Moreover, “Who’s To Say” and “Beautiful” further showcase Jern Eye’s uplifting and thought-provoking sophistication. In addition, Jern effectively channels Authentic Vintage’s aggressive elements (“Something’s Wrong,” “So & So”), while reuniting Lunar Heights for a refreshing posse cut (“Change”).
In comparison to previous MYX releases, Vision’s overarching concept lacks the originality and creativity captured by Keelay & Zaire's Ridin’ High [click to read]. Moreover, Jern Eye has dedicated over a quarter of the album toward the redundantly recurrent persona of being a club-frequenting eligible bachelor. Furthermore, though Jern aims to mimic his aforementioned golden eras of Hip Hop, he has unfortunately fallen victim of elements of modern commercialism (“Get Down,” “Burnin’”).
Like D.Black, Jern Eye has artistically made great strides between albums, with his Vision sharper than ever. Though not quite as compelling as Spear Of The Nation’s (of Lunar Heights) Spearitalk, Jern has successfully avoided the infamous sophomore jinx and has well represented his label, the Bay Area, and the Filipino-American Hip Hop culture.
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