AJ Vibes is a complete hip-hop artist. While he has immersed himself in sounds that span jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul, and r&b, AJ is at his core a storyteller. His compositions weave together these closely related genres and melodies alongside immaculate wordplay, lyricism, and storytelling. On ‘THE END: A MIXTAPE’, he delves deep into his own frustration that becomes a collective vocalisation for what many black people in America feel towards the constant and seemingly relentless injustice and prejudice directed their way. It’s thought provoking, uplifting, and demands you to introspect.
Influenced by some of the most heralded storytellers in hip-hop today such as Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, and a Tribe Called Quest, it’s clear that Vibes has a desire to make his name as a lyricist first and foremost. Vibes also plays the piano and drum pad on his tracks. He’s accompanied by Daniel Apter-Prodger on the bass guitar and Jack Miller on Drums. Having played at several festivals across California, he knows how to take his act to the audience as well. Perhaps most interestingly, AJ Vibes is the founder of a new Black-Owned Artist Community called Sounds From Within where the mission statement is to reimagine authentic connections by emphasizing the human within the art.
There’s a lot of changeups within the project, with the flow, the production, and overall soundscape taking hard u-turns every couple of tracks. ‘The opener for instance is a punchy piece of wordplay, up-tempo beats, and a few sprinkles of r&b mixed in. But on ‘NOSTALGIA’, Vibes grabs your attention by the throat with each vocal inflection and rhyme. It sets the bar high, and sets the ball rolling. And then towards the latter half, more mellow and drowsy tunes like LA Sunsets serve as cool downs, sedative pieces. The penultimate track, a lowkey freestyle called ‘Beat The Clock’ is another highlight.
‘ONE TOO MANY’, the albums closer is in many ways the project’s defining piece. It feels as though the preceding seven pieces all lead up to this single track that stands a minute longer than any other part of the album. With a host of different instruments playing in the background, a silky r&b chorus, a wavy vocal production that moves between your headphones seamlessly, and lyrically impressive verse, it’s the culmination of a great hip-hop piece.
‘THE END: A MIXTAPE’ is a calm, mellow, and meditative piece of hip-hop that’s as introspective as it is sedative. It’s a great listen back to front.
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