Well here it is. After seemingly years of hinting at his full on foray into the music world, Jaden Smith has officially thrown his hat into the ring with his debut album,ย SYRE. Despite all the hate and skepticism itโs undoubtedly going to get before people even give it a listen, we must acknowledge that this is a moment. I honestly canโt think of another situation like his, heโs essentially a part of Americaโs first wave of black โroyalty,โ with rarely anyone (let alone black) before reaching the immense heights his mega-famous parents have (dad in particular). So this moment alone is worth noting, and I couldnโt help but crack a smile.
โSorry, mama, Iโm the mess-up
I just use these 808โs to do confessions
Iโm double cursing and Iโm flexing
Vile person, I feel like Iโm a Peasant
This isnโt me, itโs my reflection
My purity is the protection from the insecurities of a section of my soulโ
Now back to the music, I was fully prepared to โetherโ what he had to offer but I have to say I was surprisingly taken aback at just how enjoyableย SYRE was. Like most people, I donโt care much for what Iโve seen of Jaden the person โ in his defense, I have no idea what itโs like to grow up under the intense public eye like that and have so much you have to live up to, but he doesnโt make it easy to like him either. But Iโd be a bold faced liar if I said that the kid doesnโt have musical talent, because his ear for production on here is incredible, his flow is more than good, and heโs an obvious student of hip-hop. Heโs clearly been more influenced by the likes of Kanye West, KiD CuDi, and Childish Gambino, more so than his dad, but thatโs to be expected from someone whoโs only 19. Whatโs not to be expected is just how well heโs already able to effortlessly switch up styles, going from singing to rapping on a dime and blending a host of genres to craft something truly current (and even slightly ahead of the curve). Now when it comes to the lyrical content, he has some real gems here mixed with some cringey nonsensical musings that if youโve ever read any of his tweets youโd understand. As well as some undeserved braggadocio โ but this is hip-hop. Itโs hard to tell how serious he is about some of the things he says, and Iโm sure he likes it that way but thereโs no denying the serious entry he just made into music. Color me impressed.
Have you heardย SYRE? Whatโd you think about it? Were you as impressed by Jaden Smithโs debut as I was? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the album.
