Hillsboro, TX-based rapper and storyteller J’Moris started making an initial impression with his 2020 debut album Blac February.
For his second outing, Moris Better: Loveless Confessions, goes for one of the trickier things to do in hip-hop music: romance rap.
On one hand, the beats and/or samples require a specific mood, but also versatility so the music doesn’t become monotonous. At the same time, the lyrics, or raps, if you will, need to go beyond “I love you” or just romantic/erotic scenery.
On Moris Better: Loveless Confessions tries to successfully jump above both of these hurdles. Musically, he varies things with styles that range from a strong R&B influence to modern rap, trap, and classic hip-hop, exhibiting quite a good taste in his selection of beats and samples.
Lyrically, Moris again goes for variation. He goes from being a ladies’ man, a street-wise storyteller, to being the life of the party, and someone not to be toyed with.
And throughout the album, opting for variation forks for J’ Moris. One of the reasons maybe lies in the fact that Moris initially recorded more than 30 tracks for the album, narrowing down his choice to 14 that he thought really work and tell the story he was after.
There is a number of standout tracks on the album, starting with “Wanna Ball,” a nod to soul legend Marvin Gaye and including “Magic,” “Too Spicy,” and the title tracks.
Still, the main factor that works for J’Moris here is the fine balance between being uniform and varied.
