All of the Above
The understated East Coast hip-hop messenger J-Live delivers the goods on his latest indie release, which may lack big-budget studio acumen but still contains some gems that will rock the house, and make you think. He may not have the big-time star power ofNellyorJigga, but records like this show why J-Live gets serious love in the underground scene. With a sexy but serious vibe that places it in the same camp as records by fellow alt rappersMos DefandCommon,All of the Abovestraddles the fence between somewhat preachy odes on the state of hip-hop, à la the emphatic "Do That $#!%," and playful love poems, such as the bouncy "Like This Anna," which brings to mind the classic days ofA Tribe Called Quest. Sometimes J meanders, and he's not helped by an often subdued production, but on cuts like the moody "Traveling Music" his passion and power shine bright.--Amy Linden