Spoken word is really making a huge resurgence and has brought so many artists to the fore front in the past few years; think Drake, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar… But there is something emerging in this style recently, allowing for amazing layering of production and instrumentals, alongside lyrical poetry that keeps me coming back even when I never before thought myself a rap fan.
JON’s We Need It is a testament to the slickness of modern rap that marries sensual jazz and poignant, conscious lyricism with the heaviest grooves possible.
JON has absolutely smashed it with this smooth sex soaked ballad We Need It. In the hazy shadows of a New York fire escape. Jon Kimo aka JON, laments on modern-day shitty vibes of society, pushing boundaries, talking drugs and taking risks.
Coming back from a quiet stage at the end of last year following the delicious hit that was What I Hear, featuring Midas Gold, JON has burst it wide open with this new one. Drenched in drama, JON doesn’t only expose his raw lyrical talent, he introduces a soft yet sophisticated voice to accompany this dark and dramatic video.
JON switches between a direct face and the audience, teasing a vintage Shure microphone surrounded by tantalising red and blue smoke and his sultry saunter down that fire escape. It’s dark and mysterious but this accompanying video does its job, pulling focus to the lyrics while still marrying JON’s talent to his obvious sex appeal.
Enter a saxophone player and lover of the blessed genre of jazz, the smokey sex infused hum that the sax layer adds to this already beautiful track has me in a melting hot mess. Taking advantage of the canvas that spoken word and rap provides for unlimited creativity in production, JON has certainly hooked me We Need It and I have no doubt that any listener would be itching for more. If you heard Urthboy’s Long Loud Hours and frothed but are after something with a little bit more grit and old school beat, then JON is 100% banging down your door with his stylish new booshie banger.
It’s simple in its beat, the sax, piano, bass and basic drum effects, but the magic of We Need It truly lies in all those little hooks pulling each verse together. There is something so sticky and sensual about the layering, with the chorus floating softly behind the strength and power of JON’s spoken word. The intent of the lyrics are definitely not lost or overpowered, rather complimented. This song is a curvaceous bombshell staring at you across the bar with a smooth drink in hand and a flash of danger in her eye… definitely one that you want to take home and love all night long.
