Good thing comes to those who wait. And boy have we waited. Eleven years to be exact. Eleven years since Exhibit C had us anticipating the most talked about freshmen to come to rap in a long time. Released on Friday the 13th, A Written Testimony is the masterclass that Jay Electronica delivered. Produced by not only Jay himself, but Swizz Beats, Hit-Boy, No ID, AraabMuzik, The Alchemist, and Khruangbin. I must say that this project comes off as a joint album with no other than Jay-Z, himself. The back and forth between these two was immaculate. The jewels that were dropped on this project weren’t Hublot watches and Hermes bracelets. It was the crown jewel. You. The real you. “Thinking of things I said that you hated then/Empirical facts that can’t be debated now” (Jay-Z, Ghost of Soulja Slim)
Hip-Hop as a whole needed some reassurance. The masses needed to be reminded that the lessons of the Rakims, Chuck Ds, and KRS-Ones, were not forgotten. “The Lord is my rock, I speed dial through salat/My trials in the fiery crucible made me hot” (Jay Electronica, Universal Solider) This album is heavy on the knowledge, but it doesn’t lose the audience. The production is sultry. Almost like an old movie intro, which makes the listener want to pull up a chair and listen. I’m pretty sure in a year or two A Written Testimony would be considered a classic. Even with the lazy track ‘Flux Capacitor’, this album is still the best to come out this year. Honestly, this how ‘Watch The Throne’ should’ve felt like. –Pooh Bailey