Jay Rock’s “90059” is modern hip-hop at its slickest, most redundant

“90059” (2015) is the zip code for part of Watts, Calif.,hometown of rapper Johnny Reed McKinzie, a.k.a. Jay Rock. Watts doesn’t carry the same hulking reputation that Compton holds in hip-hop circles, but as another disenfranchised neighborhood in southern Los Angeles, a number of parallels exist. There are only a handful of rappers that hail from Watts, but with a median age of 21, the town is largely defined by teens seeking an escape from a world of gang violence and financial hardship. On “90059,” Jay Rock throws the spotlight on his home, aiming to follow the footsteps of his successful West Coast brethren with his second full-length release. 

Jay Rock had his own troubles growing up in Watts. As a member of the Bounty Hunter Bloods, the rapper endured a number of arrests, and didn’t get a chance to shine until signing with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. After churning out a slew of mixtapes on the label, Jay Rock released “Follow Me Home” (2011) through TDE and Strange Music to mild praise.Jay Rock left Strange Music in 2014 in favor of TDE and the Black Hippy collective, a group that includes his more-successful TDE labelmates Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul. “90059” features all four members of Black Hippy, along with Busta Rhymes, SZA and Isaiah Rashad, among others.

“Necessary” starts off “90059,” and it’s obvious early on that Jay Rock has picked up a few tricks from his fellow Black Hippy comrades. The drastic beat change near the middle of the track mimics the hairpin turns taken on Kendrick Lamar tracks “u” (2015) and “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” (2013); this tactic seems to have grown in popularity in hip-hop over the past few years.

“Easy Bake” is the first standout track on “90059,” as Kendrick Lamar contributes his lyrical deftness before a tempo shift brings about a series of verses that SZA sings on her own. The track sounds like an addendum to Dr. Dre’s “Compton” (2015), with a meticulously produced backdrop and a posse of rappers speaking out in an almost visceral fashion.“Gumbo” slows the pace down a bit, a shift that sticks for the majority of “90059.” Relatively unknown producer J.LBS lends a hand for much of the album, and he, among others, gives it the silky, slick feel that defined ScHoolboy Q’s “Oxymoron” (2014) and parts of Kendrick Lamar’s “good kid, m.A.A.d. city” (2013).At moments, it’s cool and relevant, but it can sometimes seem like more of the same old sound. At the beginning of the title track, Jay Rock screams in a way eerily similar to Kendrick Lamar’s scream on “u.” Should listeners be impressed by Black Hippy’s camaraderie, or should they expect more from Jay Rock, who, so far, has been the weakest member of TDE’s core four?

Still, “90059” is successful enough, and the positives on this no-filler bundle of tracks outweigh the occasional moments of redundancy. “Vice City” is Black Hippy’s newest anthem; each of the four members of the collective take their turn on the mic on this lurking beast of a track, with Kendrick Lamar holding down the chorus. The song speaks to the talent of Black Hippy’s members, both individually and collectively, and their future in the hip-hop landscape hasn’t looked brighter. TDE has, once again, unleashed a solid hip-hop full-length, and this time it’s Watts' own Jay Rock holding the mic.