junclassic, SQ - Ante Meridiem Cats
Prolific Queens emcee junclassic (one word all lowercase), who has worked with billy woods, Vordul Mega, Hus Kingpin, and has collaborative projects with wun two, Jazz Spastiks, and giallo Point, teams up with SQ, in-house producer for PENPALS, who has worked with Fatboi Sharif, Nappy Nina, and ELUCID, amongst others, to present the new full length album “Ante Meridiem Cats”, a 12 track opus due for release on Tuesday May 6 2025 via Classified Recordings digital, compact discs and limited edition cassette.
From the triumphant yet pensive opener “Can’t Stop”, junclassic and SQ take the listener on a journey with Ante Meridiem Cats, a slogan spewed by Queens Icon Prodigy as a sentiment of reverence for those that thrive between midnight and high noon. jun vocalizes mid-life observations from the peculiar perspective of a 30-year-career gray haired lyricist who still writes rhymes on his lunch break out of sheer habit. SQ’s production is soulful and bright, with a harmonious balance of jazz and soul sitting atop syrupy, booming basslines and pulsating, boom bap drum programming, featuring occasional musical flares that create an emotive, moody atmosphere only pierced by jun’s distinctive baritone.
The subject matter builds in intensity as the project progresses, from the perils of Southside Queens living to acknowledging friends who conduct mental health check ins (“Bop”), to the grief of losing several friends in recent years (“Hi Bye My Self”), to the frustrations of 9 to 5 survival and dreams deferred (“The Same”), to the joy of taking a nostalgic walk through New York City (“Strollin’), junclassic bares his scarred soul on Ante Meridiem Cats with a calm, deliberate, intricate multisyllabic flow, purposeful punchlines, and daring detail through deeply personal narratives, giving a masterclass of what top tier lyricism can sound like in 2025. SQ provides a soundscape of warm soulful strings, colorful jazzy piano rifts, shrilling guitar wails, and thumping drum rolls, matching junclassic’s impassioned verbiage with equally compelling musical accompaniment. Well placed skits create a subplot of sorts, giving the album a cinematic feel that makes it more akin to a film soundtrack.
Ante Meridiem Cats is the type of project you press play and let ride. Rewarding repeat listens, it gives 90s energy from someone who was actually there, hearing The Infamous for the first time in a Queens barbershop on Guy Brewer and 134 St in 1995. Ante Meridiem Cats is an example of how the best from the past can inspire brilliance in the present by fostering a dynamic, explosive synergy between a superior emcee and extraordinary producer, resulting in a groundbreaking creation sure to be one of 2025’s standout releases.