Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon – SEVENTY​-​FIFTH & AMSTERDAM SIDE B LOST IN NYC

Side B of Seventy Fifth & Amsterdam is just as fulfilling a listen as the last, packing an equally eclectic cast of producers and guest rappers in the process. Longer than the first side, it’s also a more fleshed-out collection of tracks that covers even more sonic ground. But as I said when discussing the A Side, listeners should be expecting this kind of quality from the Charlotte rapper in 2021.

The album begins with a massive flex, seeing Jah-Monte flex his ‘Pitchfork Placements’ in a contemplative manner over a gorgeous beat courtesy of Mike Digi. DFNS’s beat on ‘Embarrassment of Riches’ is equally stunning, and the Lord attacks it with even greater tenacity. ‘I’m selling game, it’s like the book fair. It can took there, you not valid son you a shook scared’, he spits with the same confident energy found throughout his discography. Even when another rapper takes the mic like Izzy Mill’s feature on ‘Whoa Hold On’, the emphasis is still on furthering the main artist’s vision of organically.

With songs as different as the R&B-influenced ‘Porch Gang Vibrations’ (starring Autumn Rainwater & Side Note) and the beat-swapping rap odyssey ‘Igbo Landing’ (featuring Faragami and Sirius B), this side of SF&A is the more diverse of the two without question. There’s really something for everyone here, and with such consistent lyrical themes there’s no reason not to listen to this in its entirety. ‘Die Young Laugh Later’ is the closing song here, and it’s one of the rapper’s most audibly pleasing efforts to date. It’s title and lyrics may be somewhat morbid (‘God love you, you gon’ die young’), but its ethos totally adheres to Jah-Monte’s inspiring message of self-sufficiency.

From the various skits and promotional material surrounding the release of this project it’s obvious that the rapper’s team is as strong as ever, and with cameos from the likes of Brain Orchestra and Fly Anakin it’s even more obvious that he’s only gaining more respect within the wider rap community as more time passes.