This is the 6th extended play from Flint, Michigan emcee/producer Jon Connor & the 7th chapter of his ongoing The Artist Yahn Freeman series. 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 VI, VII & VIII simultaneously for Halloween.
“Look at Me Now” opens up with a trap intro talking about people laughing at this person instead of with them whereas “They Ain’t Free” calls for people to stop idolizing those who hate their lives. “Actin’ Like” talks about prioritizing his peace over what people in the streets be saying but after “Same Story (Don’t You Know)” observes everyone trying to get their money & minds right, “Leap of Faith” reminds us all that karma’s very much real.
As for “Dark or Light”, we have Jon talking about how making something outta nothing is simply what he does while “Halfway Home” explains there being more to life than what we’re shown regularly. “The Reminder” experiments with disco rap for not even a minute expressing hope of what he’s saying being made to clear to people listening while “Start Today” soulful ends VII offering some clear advise to those who aren’t living up to their full potential.
Considering that VI was dedicated to the memory of Jon Connor’s friend Mekeva Blackmon who always gave him a space to be himself & believed in him from the get go to her untimely death a couple months earlier, I love the idea of him expressing the gratitude he has towards professional life coach Chanel Patton throughout The Artist Yahn Freeman VII, who considers his older sister the 1st best friend he ever made in his life. I also have to commend Maestro Williams for the outstanding mixing.
Score: 7/10