Rocky Jones: “Single for the Summertime” – detailed lyricism and an animated delivery
‘Young, hard and hungry’ describes the latest hip hop artist repping Trenton, New Jersey. Backed by the capital city’s legendary movement, Vulture Gang Mafia; 24 yr old gangsta rap soloist Rocky Jones, is the fresh face of vulture gang mafia’s newly formed, Vulture Gang Music. Jones currently has 2 mixtapes on Datpiff.Com, “Passion for Paper” (2016) and “Pay Me By The First” (2016). “Single for the Summertime” is the brand new track by Rocky Jones. He uses the element of surprise to evoke a feeling from outside the box upon his listeners once again. It is with atmosphere and lyrics that this project solidifies itself as a worthwhile listen, and pleasant surprise.
Fun yet hardcore raw are the best words to describe the atmosphere of this project as Rocky brings us soulful instrumentation. “Single for the Summertime” begins with its borderline disturbing intro as the narrator gets caught ‘lying again’ by his lady.
The drums are bumping and are accompanied by a droning brass as well as spiraling brass samples. The whole track sounds like an ascent into freedom as Rocky raps over the soundscape. The track echoes what made 90’s hip-hop great. With the production that screams classic. It is top-tier, creating an atmosphere that coincides perfectly with the lyrics.
There’s no denying rap has been the major musical force of the last few decades. Once largely confined to the ghettos of the inner cities the genre can now be heard frequently on popular radio stations.
Its ubiquity could almost make you forget that rap was at its most vital when it was dominated by Gangster Rap. Sure, the explicit stuff sold well but it wasn’t exactly mainstream either. However, between 1985 and 1995 the greatest innovations and the cool factor were squarely with the gangstas.
Rocky Jones is one of those rappers that still bring the ‘cool’ factor to the table, his voice showcasing the variety of different deliveries that he has up his sleeve. It is clear that he is on a high level from a technical viewpoint. What really carries “Single for the Summertime” though is Rocky’s detailed lyricism and animated delivery.
Set atop a great beat and assisted with astute production this track hits hard. The subject matter is made-up of relationship problems, a break-up, and being “Single for the Summertime”, as the title describes, and it’s ensuing ‘benefits’. Ultimately it’s the intensity of Rocky Jones’ delivery, as well as the wit in his rhymes, that make the track addictively exciting.
It’s refreshing, in this world full of musicians cashing in on the latest fads, to see a young mind like Rocky Jones nurture his talent from legendary influences from the past, which are evident in his sound.
The New Jersey native’s music is to the point, hard-hitting – and yet, does not lack relatability or mainstream accessibility. There’s a real cinematic edge to proceedings on “Single for the Summertime”, as the storytelling lyrics draw fully realized images in the mind’s eye, with widescreen effect!
