Jev.
Toronto artist blog.
Jev.
has been on my radar for some time, and every time I hear his music I always get lost in his discography. There is so much to like about Jev., his music has substance but is also a vibe. Jev. has this punchy lyrical sound that is taken to another level with his dark wardrobe aesthetic. One very distinctive feature is his small circular shades, these give him something unique at first glance. I think it’s genuine. Having a way for people to recognize you by just looking at you is key, that’s why I always mention aesthetics and wardrobe. It’s a fundamental part of any successful artist and or brand. After taking the time to look into Jev’s discography, I realized that it’s not very extensive. Yet it holds some amazing and underappreciated music. I love how Jev. has “part-time rapper. full-time creative” in his Instagram bio. It’s a reflection of someone who is a creative rather than just a rapper and his unique and creative music and aesthetic is a perfect representation of that. Jev’s discography begins back in late 2019 with his first official single titled “Diamond Rose.” The quality of the song is actually not bad. The production and mixing are lacking but the idea of Jev. we know and love today is in this version of him. The stylistic choice in music has remained the same up until today. The more lyrical and abstract production was something Jev. knew he wanted to do since day one. I will say that Jev’s voice and cadence here don’t sound full or confident here. It really feels like someone that has either just hopped on the mic or is still in the early stages of music production. 2020 would be an eventful year and one with a massive step forward. “What You Mad For?,” “Matrix,” and “Aftermath” featuring Fae. “What You Mad For?” is an all-around perfect example of the massive leap in quality Jev. would take. The production is miles more interesting and well-put together. Jev’s vocals and cadence here feel a lot more confident and full. He sounds like an actual fully fleshed-out artist here, unlike on “Diamond Rose.” Even the cover art stuck out to me. It feels a lot more interesting and eye-catching. Jev’s delivery and flow here are amazing. He really went in on this beat and gave a performance that was memorable. I was shocked when I first heard it. To hear him go from his “Diamond Rose” single to “What You Mad For?” in just under 4 months is outstanding. This upwards quality trend would only continue to grow. 2021 would give us three singles “Jays (Session ‘17"),” “ELEGANCE,” and “h o p e.” This year would be a very experimental year. All 3 singles feel drastically different from one another and also from what he had established himself in the year prior.
Jays (Session ‘17") is the only track that continues that fun upbeat lyrical energy. “ELEGANCE” would take things to a whole new level of different. The aggressive almost distorted production mixed with a grittier more unfiltered sound gives me 2016 XXXTentacion sound cloud vibes. With that gritty, distorted sound Jev. would deliver his most unique lyrical performance yet. It almost sounds like he mumbles a lot of his words here, even though he is spitting some heavy and well-calculated bars. The music would only continue to improve with time. 2022 would be a great year full of amazing music. One of the most standout releases would feature some of his biggest hits to date. “the color gray.” would be Jev’s one and only project to date. This 8-track project delivered classics like “black samurai.,” “and then I go reverse.,” and ”where’s the confetti.” The music here is outstanding. The production here alone is on another level than any he had released before. “and then I go reverse.” is probably my favorite track of his. The energy of the production mixed with Jev’s insane cadence and delivery really made for an experience. ”where’s the confetti.” would be Jev’s biggest track garnering over 10,000,000 million streams on Spotify alone. The people really responded well to this track. It's great to see good music getting love, there isn’t anything viral about this song yet it reached a lot of people. Even “and then I go reverse.” got a great reach, amassing over 2,000,000 million streams on Spotify alone. There are a lot of things to like about this project, the quality of production and mixing is something that has definitely made this project a classic for me. This project is not only quality but also timeless. Jev. would continue the momentum from his project into 2023 with him reaching some of his biggest streaming numbers yet. “lonrwrld (freestyle)” would reach over 500,000 thousand streams on Spotify. This momentum would also shift into his single “who?” which is yet another hit. Jev. just continues to impress with each single. They just keep getting more and more exciting. Jev’s artistry is really and truly being realized this year. He has released some of the best-sounding music coming out of the city. He has reached a global audience that has become a fan of his sound and is ready to see his journey. I feel like Jev. needs to make full bodywork. He was able to make such a quality project with “ the color gray.” But I think the next massive step would be a full-length album. That would definitely rock the city and build new fans. Albums are what truly convert a follower into a fan.
Written by Maxim Bayarsky
