The impulse in listening to Jonwayne's “The Come Up Pt.1” (featuring Scoop DeVille) is to assume that Scoop pulled double duty, producing and gracing the mic. This is incorrect. Though the cut is of a distinctively West Coast vibe (one synonymous to Scoop's work with The Game, Snoop Dogg, and Bishop Lamont), “The Come Up Pt.1” is a Jonwayne production.
Jonwayne's debut is about Jonwayne's versatility. The flexing of styles goes beyond proving equal proficiency in production and rapping, which is what makes “The Come Up” Pt.1″ such a noteworthy track. It's the natural absorption of peer influence that matriculates into an artist's school of thought. Think back on early Jonwayne, and he was a young cat infiltrating the Low End Theory scene, playing to the taste of the residents. Bowser was the experimental introduction, a left-brain grower that was destined for a niche audience of gamers and production nerds. By the Death of Andrew EP, he's flipping Rick Ross into villainous boss level beats, crafting a marriage of the nerdy and the accessibility of an undeniable head banger. Artists like Jeremiah Jae and Scoop DeVille become his peers, and as we enter the last week before his Rap Album One debut, “The Come Up Pt.1” is unleashed to counter the artistic liberties taken on “Relaxation”.
“The Come Up Pt.1” is the fine tuning of a production style Jonwayne explored on “Night School”, which also featured Scoop DeVille. It's not Jonwayne's take on a Scoop DeVille production. It's not Jonwayne's seeking a sound on the level of “The Recipe” or “Poetic Justice”. It's rap debut music; soundtracking the backstory as to how Jonwayne got here; why he's here and why he's not leaving any time soon.
Jonwayne's Rap Album One is out October 29 on Stones Throw.
