both of these artists display versatility, vulnerability, and can cultivate and develop new sounds! So why cant they do it together?

A New Week, A New Think Piece: Revisiting a Rapper/Singer Duo’s Latest EP

Today, I take a look at the two-man rapper/singer duo attempting to rekindle the success of their previous collaboration. At a compact six songs and a runtime of approximately 13 minutes, the actual content of the album matches its delivery—fast, sweet, ardent, and soft around the edges. Production and marketing-wise, the EP is great. Centered around themes of traveling, cars, and the dual aspects of relationships and transportation, the EP makes a lot of noise with the engine but has no true destination. The sound is perhaps too similar to their previous collaboration, giving off a sense of nonproductivity and stagnation between their synergy and possibly even between the two themselves. So, how does something with all the potential in the world seemingly not go anywhere?

Introducing my analysis beyond the project is Joony, a rapper I found myself frequently listening to and gravitating toward with his release of “Pretty in Black” a few years ago. Versatile, with a poignant flow and voice to match, the release of the song “Paper Soldier” and the corresponding head nods for his involvement in Brent Faiyaz’s “Wasteland” project was his big coming out. Along with the bubbling of talent and maturity in the DMV music scene, Joony was primed and placed at bat for his home run hit, his moment, that possibly came and went. The question to ponder on this is: why do some artists grow their niche consumer base and then, via collaborations or label signings, find longevity and stability in their careers, while others plateau? And more importantly, how can the team around an artist help them see when to take which actions?

The first question I find helpful is deciding for yourself or with your team if there is a barometer that can be set to understand when to capitalize on current successes. Obviously, these metrics are in no way objective and depend on what you want out of a career and financial perspective. For example, before this EP, Joony was reeling off an album run that didn’t do as much for him as it should have after getting signed to Blxst’s EVGLE label, which is under Red Bull Music. The album received fewer playlist placements and overall did not trend upward in listener engagement and consumption.

In contrast, Jordan Ward finds himself as a burgeoning R&B star if his next album receives critical acclaim similar to his previous project, “Forward.” Ward, before releasing music himself, was a background dancer for megastars like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, and Becky G. He has found a space for himself in the current climate of pop-R&B fusion.

Overall, the tape was forgettable, but “Burning Rubber” and “Jealousy” are amazing and really showcase what these two can do on a micro level. Both of these could be, and can be, huge—like song-of-the-summer level. I think the release came out a bit late in the year, and maybe because of Jordan’s summer tour run, the project was delayed. Considering how great I believe both of these artists are, I would have liked to see a more experimental and curated body of work.