JBEE ‘ 24’s Single Reaction : Poised for a major breakthrough?

London rapper JBEE is truly carving out his own lane in the UK Rap scene. Garnering attention from key tastemakers such as Clash and New Wave, the young talent is poised for a major breakthrough this year. Featuring an iconic sample of Drake and JAY-Z’s “Pound Cake”, his latest single ’24s’ has received great fanfare by fans and critics alike.

Earlier last week, members of Mixtape Madness’s writers team – Joe Simpson, Hollie May, Tom Atkinson and Afoma Andrea – got together to hear the song for the first time. Blasting from the loudest volume on the speakers, here is their first reaction:

Best Line

Joe: “I’ve been verified in Rap way before insta gave me a tick.”

Hollie: I can’t decide!! – “Cant wait till I see me a mill, JBEE been hungry for way too long”. I can hear his dedication and hunger to go clear in the industry. “I’ve been verified in rap, way before insta gave me a tick.” Making it clear that his social media doesn’t prove his worth within the game.

Tom: “Gotta mention the gang and family eats, I’m chasing a mill no Meek.” Some witty wordplay here and an ode to helping others, you can’t complain.

Afoma: The whole track! This song is spiritual, should be played in church.

Overall First Impression?

Joe: JBEE sounds comfy and assured of himself on ‘24’s’. His hook is catchy and the ‘Pound Cake’ inspired instrumental by X10 adds a layer of nostalgia to the track.

Hollie: The lyricism is perfection. Waiting for the next line over and over is exactly what you want from a track. I was disappointed when I realised it was the end of the track, I felt like a story was being told- which maybe JBEE could’ve ran with more. It would be good to see him on a more upbeat track.

Tom: The first thing I noticed was the sample of the beat from Drake’s ‘Paris Morton Music 2,’ which itself is a sample of an Ellie Goulding track. It was blended well into the more subtle Drill production, with JBEE flowing well over this beat. The more melancholic delivery matched the vibe of the track and the braggadocio worked as it was confident, but not overbearing. All in all, a pretty solid track that sounds good and gets the points across that JBEE was trying to deliver, although more witty wordplay would have elevated my enjoyment.

Afoma: JBEE definitely had a full breakfast before he made this track because he is fine form. Like Hollie, I was even shocked when I reached the end of the track. Instant reload, you cannot play this once. There has definitely been a serious improvement in terms of his lyricism. Solid track.