New surprise EP from Flint, Michigan emcee/producer Jon Connor. Someone who’s steadily been holding it down for the last 2 decades including The Calling, Vinnie Chase & S.O.S. trilogies along with the Best in the World series paying homage to some of Jon’s influences, Salvation, While You Were Sleeping & Unconscious State. He was even signed to Aftermath Entertainment for 6 years before departing after Vehicle City wound up being shelved, coming off Food for the Soul & 24 produced by KLC of the No Limit Records in-house production team Beats by the Pound to drop the 4th installment of The Artist Yahn Freeman series produced by Smitti Boi.
“Lord You Know I’m Trying” hops over a trap beat sampling gospel music to begin this month’s installment talking about making music for the people who appreciate his style these days whereas “1st Day Back” goes for a boom bap vibe instrumentally admitting he wakes up every day thinking of making something out of his life before his time’s up. “Solid Ground” keeps it rugged to spit streams of consciousness while “Evolve” featuring MRK_SX finds the 2 talking about now being the time to do better.
Starting the 2nd half, “The Party 2” comes through with a spiritual successor to a highlight off The Artist Yahn Freeman II promising to never give up his self-respect for money over a nocturnal trap beat while “Endless Road” vents the need to talk to someone except no one’s tapping in. “Praying for the Sunshine” returns to the boom bap calling for us to realize our children’s future is in our hands & “They Can’t Stop My Dreams” spends the last couple minutes promising everything will be ok.
Only a week after his birthday, this latest entry of Jon Connor’s ongoing saga has been only getting more interesting by the month & The Artist Yahn Freeman IV taking over The Artist Yahn Freeman III’s position as the All Varsity Music Group founder’s finest-sounding extended play this whole year. Maestro Williams of Silent Riot’s gives us the greatest mixing/mastering I’ve heard throughout this entire tetrarch through his engineering, carrying over the thoughtfully conscious lyricism backed by Smitti Boi’s production healthily balancing boom bap & trap.
Score: 8/10