Review: J.I. Bares All In His Highly Awaited ‘Hood Life Krisis, Vol. 3’ Project

J.I. over the last year has proven himself as a force to be reckoned with. Touching over 1 million views on each drop with ease, although he’s only 19 years old, his refined wisdom and mindset says different. Often being referred to as older than his age, J.I. has delivered a slew of impressive hit-singles and projects that have seen him garner a fan base of just under 2 million followers on Instagram alone. Following up from the release of ‘Hood Life Krisis, Vol. 1’ back in October of 2019, the rising star shared ‘Hood Life Krisis, Vol. 2’ earlier this year and has more recently finished the trilogy with his highly awaited ‘Hood Life Krisis, Vol. 3’ project. Through capturing snippets of his life, experiences, and all-round personality, J.I. has shown a variety of sides, sounds and perspectives throughout this series.

Spread across 7 tracks with a guest appearance from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, ‘Hood Life Krisis, Vol. 3’ also features pre-released tracks including, “Letter 2 U” and “Excuse My Pain”. Taking a step back to the J.I. we all grew to love, the Brooklyn native takes a deeper dive into his journey, pain, past experiences, and relationships; through sharing a very honest, raw and vulnerable account, he navigates us through the mind of the flourishing hit-maker.

Introducing the project with menacing yet cinematic drop titled, “Calling Out 2 You”, J.I. offloads an assortment of straight-talking bars that see him touch on his journey; from selling CD’s on his block to labels looking down on him, to his all-new claim to success, he explores the pain he has felt through his journey thus far and explains why he is a certain way in an unapologetic demeanor. We quickly find ourselves stumbling across the highly-awaited A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie collaboration! Joining forces with fellow hit-maker on “R&B Shit”, a solid another stand-out track from the project, this infectious and groove-ridden joint see’s the pair compliment each other’s styles with ease.

Gliding into two both, “Letter 2 U” and “Everything”, this cut accommodates a more up-beat and emotive backdrop that see’s him reflecting on a previous relationship, before closing out the project by championing his Puerto Rican Spanish background on “Suficiente”, this track boasts J.I.’s indisputable versatility. Blowing our lockdown blues away, this up-beat and vibrant offering is bound to have up and moving! Switching between both English and his native language – this one is a certified bop! Transitioning into his pre-released track “Excuse My Pain”, J.I. faces his demons and bares a very up-front and honest perspective throughout; “I deserve to die in pain, and my heart so cold I got frostbite inside my veins”. Accompanied alongside a set of Kid Art-directed visuals that pay reference to the cult classic movie ‘Scarface’, his emotions take centre stage. it’s safe to say the original sound we all grew to love from the rising star shone throughout ‘Hood Life Krisis, Vol 3’. Taking an emotional and introspective turn, J.I. has delivered yet another solid project that not only spotlights his trajectory but solidified his position in the game.

Listen to ‘Hood Life Krisis, Vol. 3’ below. Check out our interview with J.I. here.