[ALBUM REVIEW] Jason Chu “MILLENNIALS”

What is “Substance without Style”? Jason Chu brings you on a journey in this first track, “Free.” Free in this song has many connotations. His desire for freedom in this song is a freedom from expectation, from judgements due to his race, and freedom from fear to speak his truth. He summarizes his journey as a rapper, growing and expanding his horizons. How he took his raw talent and developed his own style. The first track on the album draws you in and the instrumental is ambient and soothing under Jason’s passionate delivery. The song is a brilliant opener and introduction to Jason Chu’s unique brand of hip hop, full of substance but stylized and unique.

Oh Lord begins with a manic, percussion driven beat. The instrumental and Jason’s flow create a tone of chaos that remains consistent throughout the song. Oh Lord is a plea for help from Jason’s struggles in life. As Jason’s verses start, a guitar riff joins the percussion and the instrumental gains a soulful sound and the hook is an emotional cry, “Oh Lord, won’t you help me get off my knees?” Jason continues a narrative begun in “Free” but shows his versatility as an artist doing a complete 180 from the peaceful intro track.

No Angels is a song about the objectification of women and sex addiction. “You can’t buy me love but I can sure pay for lust.” The songs verses provided by Jason have a tone of guilt and disgust toward the pornography industry and its affect on the perception of women it has on men. At the same time the hook sung by a woman, “We use each other and we’re no angels.” is an honest depiction of the exchange of power in the sex industry which is sex for money. The song in its honest simplicity manages to have many layers and gets it’s point across without shoving it down your throat.

3AMLookingAtYourPictures feels like a transition between “No Angels” into “Red Lines.” “No Angels” touches on the end of a relationship in its verses and “3AM” seems to pick up at the end of that relationship.

Red Lines is a dark song about the dangerous extents one might turn to to feel control. Jason is incredibly honest on this track opening up about self mutilation, alcoholism and drugs. Jason consistently shows an incredible talent for painting a picture with his verses. This album plays out like a movie and “Red Lines” feels like the climax as the album takes a different turn in the next track, “Shine With Me.”

The first half of this album comes together as a story about Jason’s life and struggles. Each of the first 5 tracks transition smoothly into each other while still sounding unique and having their own messages to share. These struggles and life lessons helped shape Jason as a person and an artist and that is made clear in “Shine With Me.”

Shine With Me begins with an uplifting piano melody joined by percussion. Jason’s delivery is a bit different in this track as he no longer has a somber tone but continues a theme of honesty in this track. The verses are passionate expressions of how far Jason has come as an artist.

“A Generation of millionaires with molotovs ”MILLENNIALS” is a criticism of the judgement that Generation Y receive from the media. While I enjoy the message this song is delivering about how each generation leaves a footprint on the next and how it has resulted in our society it feels a bit out of place. It is a great song with a great message but after creating a masterpiece narrative with the first 7 tracks “MILLENNIALS” feels like it’s from a totally different album.

Song For You is a song to the fans that supported Jason Chu from his humble beginnings. After the slight divergence of “MILLENNIALS,” this feels like a continuation of Jason’s personal story. It is truly a song for the fans as it tells the story of Jason’s experiences with fans and how they had a huge impact on him. More artists should take a note from Jason as this track essentially tears down the 4th wall and showcases a lot of emotional vulnerability and honesty.

“Life will never hold your hand, To make God laugh just tell Him all your plans.” Jason raps over a folksy beat in this track titled, “Manhood.” This track feels more like a look into the future and takes a skeptical but optimistic point of view on life. It continues a theme begun in “MILLENNIALS” but is still consistent with the narrative Jason carried throughout the other tracks in this album.

Letter to Jin is a song in the same vein as “Song For You.” However Jason takes on the opposite role from “Song For You” as he is the fan in this scenario. It’s a song of appreciation from Jason to one of the few First Generation Asian Hip Hop icons Jin the MC.

Fake Rollies & Rap is the closing track on this album and feels like a culmination of a journey taken through “MILLENNIALS.” Jason exposes the discrimination Asian artists experience in the hip hop community. It’s a powerful track with an earworm hook that will get stuck in your head but it’s verses carry a powerful confident message about not conforming and standing against racism and dishonesty in hip hop. This track feels like a continuation of “Free” as it expands on the things Jason desired to be free from. “Fake Rollies & Rap, who got time for all that?” The hook gives the impression that Jason has come to realize that the dishonesty and personas in hip hop are a waste of time. As if to say Style without Substance is meaningless and if there’s one thing to take from this album it’s that Jason Chu has both style and substance.