JLive - Always Will Be (8 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

Excellent...

A. D. Schutz | Springfield, VA | 01/10/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After hearing/seeing J-Live as part of the Okayplayer Winter Break, I decided to pick up one of his EP's. I was pleasantly suprised at both the quality of the production (all his work) and the precision with which he rhymes. He is clever, the rhymes are tight, and the songs seem to flow together. This is the first J-Live cd I have bought, and it will not be the last. My personal favorites are Add-A-Cipher (where he uses a numeric formula based on the number 5), Car Trouble (excellent use of metaphor, comparing his rap career to a cabdriver's) and Walkman music (head-nodding beat with smooth flow). Since this is an EP, it is modestly priced, a good gamble if you are looking for an alternative to the current hip hop trends of violence, drugs, and money. Hope you enjoy it."

Good EP

True School Lover | My Computer, Right Here USA | 01/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Always Will Be - The intro, using the woman/rap metaphor like in "Kick It to the Beat" on The Best Part. Good upbeat tempo.

Add-A-Cipher - His statement on crowd size, with cuts by DJ Flo Fader, the first of two guests.

Deal Wid It - This is one of those songs which, a J-Live fan hearing it will be like, alright, that's a cool message, but you wouldn't want one of your mainstream friends to hear it because they would say he's just crying over his life which was non-gansta to begin with.

Get Live - The worst song on the EP, which means its worth listening to as it comes around in the rotation but you wouldn't skip to. It's problem is the chorus which is just J yelling Get Live!, but the verses are hot and dope as always so you can't skip it because of the chorus man, 'cause you'll miss the good stuff.

Car Trouble - The second guest appearance here is by Wordsworth, who doesn't rap but plays the rider in J's taxi/rap industry metaphor.

9000 Miles - When I first heard this I didn't really like it, I was skipping it some, but it grew on me, now it's my favorite. When you're listening to this the first time, don't let the refrain turn you off because the message is perfect for when you're in that sort of mood, I put it in the "the world is hopeless" folder with "Nights Like This" from All of the Above.

Skip Proof - The outro. The verse is too short, just like the whole EP. The beat is nothing to right home about, kind of reminscent of "Don't Get It Backwards."

Buy it. PEACE.

NOTE - I mentioned The Best Part, which is J's first album, which you can't get on Amazon, so I hope they won't mind my suggestion of getting it off of www.sandboxautomatic.com check J's website for whoever he's signed to today because there is usually a link, he's at www.j-livemusic.net."

The Triple Threat Returns (4 Stars)

Norfeest | Washington DC USA | 05/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"One year after dropping "All Of The Above", J Live comes back with the EP "Always Will Be". It's not as tight as the aforementioned album(which is a classic in my mind), but it's still a cut above most of the hip hop out right now. J Live raps with a precision that takes you back to '94 without sounding old or boring. The beats are on point and the rhymes are almost perfect. He's probably one of the best storytelling MCs out there right now. And as the aptly named Triple Threat he produces, rhymes, & scratches almost everything on the album (DJ Flo Fader does the scratches on "Add-A-Cipher") by himself. Those that have heard his previous three albums will love this one too. It's not his best work, but it's not his worst by a longshot. The only knock I have on this CD is the fact that it's only 30 minutes long (8 tracks). It leaves you wanting more. But you should still go out and get it though, you won't be disappointed.Personal Favorites: Add-A-Cipher, Walkman Music (my favorite), Deal Widit, Car Trouble feat. Wordsworth, and 9000 Miles"

For an EP, This was Great

fantom_jsk | NDub Canada | 11/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, first of all I can't believe most people haven't heard of J-Live. I mean he makes beats that everybody can jam to, and can be a credible lyricist spitting out meaningful and versatile lyrics and possibly tell you a story.Add a Cipher is a great track showing J-Live's great lyrical skills with an interesting alliteration in his lyrics. The beat itself is simple, giving a good show of his lyrical skill. Definetly a definitive song on the record (4.5/5)Always Will Be is a great club track with a booming bassline. Bragging about the fact that J-Live is here to stay, and is gonna do his best to change the game. (4/5)Car Trouble is like a skit and a song. Basically about J-live as a taxi driver advising a new rapper whose entering the Rap Game for a deal. It's a very smart rhyme, it took awhile to get the fact that J-Live never worked for a taxi company and was just symbolism for his actual life. Best song, good lyrical skill and a nice story (ha!) (5/5)Deal Widit is a wise song with the repeating course "What do you do when you got 20 2 minute tasks and 10 minutes to deal with it?". J-Live just spits his personal concerns about himself as being an unknown in the rap game, but he has got awesome hype. (4/5)Get Live is an awesome Anthem song, with the booming bassline and eerie horn sample. J-Live is spitting "Damn it's good not to have to be a gangsta, Spit on the mic, and give thanks to". He's making sure all ya'll know he is the best (5/5). Skip Proof, okay the bassline in this song like others almost destroyed my speakers (lol). It's again another bragging track to make sure everybody knows J-Live is the best MC out there..and he is (4/5)Walkman Music is an ode to people like myself who listen to music on their Walkman, MP3, or CD player every day. I didn't really like the beat, the symphony sample kinda didn't fit with the piano. The lyrics were mild on it. (3.5/5)Those are some the highlighted songs I wanted to comment on, but overall it was a good record. Though I think if you really want to the whole J-Live experience listen to All of the Above, although I'd suggest The Best Part."

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