There are an eyebrow-raising amount of songs in the South Korean music scene that are being hyped as hip-hop, when any Western rap fan would find little resemblance to the recorded legacy of the genre.
That's why artists like Ja Mezz are so important. As both an MC and a producer, he has clearly done his homework. The music of Ja Mezz bears the mark of a true fan.
When the rapper released his single "Pilot" from the album "1/4" on Aug. 11, the song was a clear homage to the G-funk of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and a satisfying bookend to the single "Wanna Get (Oasis Pt.2)" from one year before, nearly to the day.
Released on Aug. 27 of 2014, "Wanna Get (Oasis Pt.2)" is a pastiche of some of hip-hop's greatest moments from the East Coast. Wu-Tang's pounding one-note basslines, Nas's squealing horns and looped soul harmonies and Kanye's sped up vocal lines are all reverently represented in the sound of "Wanna Get (Oasis Pt.2)."
Yet, when the time comes for Ja Mezz to drop his rhymes, his style is a clear departure from everyone that has come before him. While any artist is a product of their influences, he sounds like no Korean or American MC this review has ever heard, content to favor a more natural attack over a boastful or bombastic approach.
Watching the rapper clown around with school kids decked out in urban wear (including one of them in a Run DMC hoody) in the music video for "Wanna Get (Oasis Pt.2)," it's difficult not to be a bit moved by the images.
Ja Mezz clearly was one of those kids who lived and died on what the next rap single was going to be and who only wanted to be a part of the international movement that moved him so deeply.
At least in this sense, there is no denying that Ja Mezz has succeeded greatly.
Watch the music video for South Korean rapper Ja Mezz's 2014 single "Wanna Get (Oasis Pt.2)" RIGHT HERE
