J Flash - The Arrival

Album review by WVCC Radio

THE ARRIVAL is an 8 Track, fully armored, and heavily armed Bullet Train. Produced by a who's who of underground greats like NOTTZ on the album opener and lead single, D.O.A. which just happens to feature RJ PAYNE, who wastes no time flaunting why he is one of the most sought features in Hip Hop today. Then you got the legendary BEATMINERZ, providing a neck breaking banger on the MICKY FACTZ feature "ROCKSTEADY". Multi Coaster, DJ SKIZZ lays down a disgustingly dark piano and violin driven knocker that J FLASH & the Good Dad Gangster TERMANOLOGY glide over like Gold Medal hockey players. We even got the great STU BANGAS holding down three joints on the LP, one of which features both "Roc AmeriKKKa" Brothers, ETO & FLEE LORD. 

Like I said, the album is stacked with fire power, but it’s the Conductor, J FLASH who keeps the whole project in line and on time. Never does he fall off track when faced with the challenge of matching verses with the Samurais whose swords he employed for this very mission. He doesn't just phone it in with one verse on each song, depending on his guest of honor to carry the song. Nah, he hits you with 2 fire verses when possible, marking his territory, and reminding us whose album this is.  With bars like "You know its body bag season, and best believe that I'm eating/ Fucking up the whole scene when I'm releasing these demons/ I capsize the chastised, that's Leam Neason/ You'll get snatched up quicker than a cut-throat evening/", J FLASH hods down the set and commands respect.  Even though it was my first time personally hearing the Los Angeles native, He has a familiar voice that you enjoy hearing slick shit come out of. You can hear hints of West Coast Underground greats in his style, and it makes his album sound like organic Indie Hip Hop.  Dope Emcees getting together with Dope Producers and an insanely good DJ, delivering the excitement of the movie Bullet Train, in the vehicle of a Boom Bap EP. 

The Irony, that J FLASH would name his debut album "THE ARRIVAL" while all the while sounding like he's been here for years.

THE ARRIVAL

NO HANDOUTS

J Flash - NO HANDOUTS FT. TERMANOLOGY PROD. BY DJ SKIZZ KUTZ BY KUT KAPER

ROCKSTEADY

J Flash - ROCKSTEADY FT. MICKEY FACTZ PROD. BY DA BEATMINERZ

BROKEN CYCLE

J Flash - BROKEN CYCLE PROD. BY STU BANGAS

D.O.A

J Flash - D.O.A. FT. RJ PAYNE PROD. BY NOTTZ KUTZ BY KUT KAPER

THE ARRIVAL (INTRO)

J Flash -  THE ARRIVAL (INTRO) PROD. BY KUT KAPER

J Flash, an independent artist out of Los Angeles recently released his new album called The Arrival on AOne Records this August. J Flash is an emcee out of South Whittier where he came in contact with the culture initially as a B-Boy in the Mid-90’s. He was also touched by the grace of many graffiti artists, but ultimately, he landed with a microphone in hand after his close friend BBOY Flash passed. As time continued and it slowly swallowed up the scene, J Flash leaned into the influences of artists such as Gangstarr, Rakim, KRS One and A Tribe Called Quest. With that living within, J Flash connected with his friend AOne and brother Abaz149 for productions on an old SP 505 and a Casio keyboard in 2002. By 2005, he was linking up with his old B-Boy friends to form a crew called Sick Lyfe. Opening up to new influences like Termanology, Jadakiss, Black Thought and Vinnie Paz, J Flash continued to hone his rhyme skills until 2010 when he and AOne created The IllStarz. Together they recorded an EP called Merchant of Dreams and hit stages across Los Angeles and Orange County. Still very raw and with a steep learning curve ahead, it was fully produced by AOne on the MPC1000. It contained a song called Love for The Culture, where AOne had a sharp direction and a solid idea on the beat, and Flash covered it with lyrics about his heartfelt passion for everything Hip Hop. Another off the same project is State of Business where J Flash and AOne took the moment to let those in the culture know where they were headed in their representation for the Hip Hop culture. Today in 2023, J Flash and AOne are at it again. A much more polished project where AOne took the back seat and has no production credits at all. Instead, J Flash was given the opportunity to shine over beats by some well-respected producers like, NOTTZ, Stu Bangas, Da Beatminerz, DJ Skizz and Nicholas Craven. His new album also has features from many high caliber emcees like RJ Payne, Mickey Factz, ETO, Flee Lord and one of his contemporary influences Termanology. Make no mistake, no self-respecting Hip Hop project can exist without the blessings of a skillful DJ. On this one, DJ Kut Kaper, from Villainz Krew, out of the South Bay not only laced the cuts, but also produced the intro for the album. J Flash comes out strong on this project with a production punch that should soothe chiseled Hip Hop heads.