Jean Dawson is a trailblazer, an innovator, and a master at his craft, and he’s only 26 years old. I have never come across someone in the hip-hop world that has proven to be as dynamic as Jean, and I honestly don’t know if I ever will. He never settles for the ordinary, and even if it takes years to put out a full project, the wait is minimal compared to the artistry that is shown. I have had a blast getting to cover all of Jean’s singles off of his highly anticipated album CHAOS NOW*, and just last week, the finished product was finally delivered to all DSPs.
This 13-song project is seriously unreal, and every single second of the almost 36-minute-long effort packs a punch. Some tracks are much more upbeat and intense thanks to heavy electric guitar chords and a swifter tempo. Others take a step back, allowing his words to really reminisce with you and self-reflect as Jean appears to do the same on his end. He is also not one to typically include many features on his projects, so the only exception with this album is George Clanton and Earl Sweatshirt.
Now, Earl is one of my all-time favorite musicians, and knowing that he is on a similar level as Jean in terms of creativity and not just wanting to put something out to put it out had my mind wandering, curious about what their collaboration would sound like. After listening, this turned out to be my favorite record on the effort because it is chill, reflective, and all-around imaginative. Jean’s introspective nature is pensive and thought-provoking, two words that seem to be a theme as I write more and more about his singles leading up to this album.
In turn, Earl delivers a verse that’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard him spit, and I’ve been listening to him for over a decade. He actually gets slightly tuneful, not to the point where it sounds forced but more so to the extent of emphasizing his message, and during my first listen, I double took when I found out that it was in fact Earl crooning his lines so emotively. Although this track turned out to be my overall preference, there isn’t a single record on the album that I didn’t thoroughly love or take away something from, and considering I’ve only listened to the album in its entirety a handful of times, I know there are many more takeaways to come as I continue to delve into CHAOS NOW*.
As a final remark, Jean describes this album in the following way:
“I’ve been trying to put this album into simple terms and sentences, but the more I try the harder it becomes because it’s simply not simple. It is a love letter to all the children that will grow up to change fractions of the world for the result of a greater whole. I hold no lofty ideals on music-making, rather I wish to serve as a proverbial sledgehammer to doors that have been left locked for kids that not only look like me but feel like me. Music-making has been the greatest gift I’ve been given so for that I give you all of me – every emotion, every splinter in my step. Feel free to use me as a mirror to see yourself if you wish. I hope to share moments with you, to be a minor theme for your laughs/yells/cries and everything in between. I’m growing up in your eyes, ears, and arms. With this little time we have on this big blue-green rock, I hope that it is well spent with those you love and with no fear under your chest! GO FOR IT!”
After listening and before reading this quote, the way I felt about this album was perfectly described in this brief summary. At the same time, considering there are so many more specifics that you can receive from such a moving and philosophical collection of songs, I would say that if there’s one thing you absolutely need to listen to moving forward, that thing is CHAOS NOW*, and you’ll understand why I feel this way after you check it out.