Couple of years ago Nas said that Rap is dead. Maybe but few are helpin' with the bandagin'. But hip-hop ain't dead and it will never be as long as there's still kids listening to J Dilla or A Tribe Called Quest. Fortunately for all of us there are such individuals. Here's one that comes from Ontario, Canada, Justis a.k.a. Justin Vail. How I came across him? Dj Vadim mentioned him on his myspace page and I got interested right away. The guy's fresh, got a smooth flow and a conscience not polluted with all this money/cars/women kind of shit. He also shows his love for jazz music, something clearly evident in his debut album "Just Is". You see the love between jazz and hip-hop is old and probably as strong as John Coltrane and Naima's. Haha. Now seriously this two go together perfectly and are the basis for many alternative hip-hop acts. Justis only proves the aforementioned with my favorite song off that album "Jazz Music" although it's not the only one influenced by this particular genre. I strongly recommend his album as it's one of those rare gems you'll find yourself listening to over and over again. I think fans of true hip-hop will appreciate his efforts. Justis, "Just Is", Do Right! Music.
You can hear his entire album here:
Justis bandcamp
Justis myspace