12 Feb 2012 // A review by Alistar3000

JCK (aka James Castady-Kristament) has been producing his brand of hip hop since 2002 with songs being picked up by radio stations and music TV. It’s easy to see why he gets so much interest after listening to his latest album, The Bees.

He makes music that stands out from the usual bland, radio friendly pop masquerading as hip hop that seems to be paraded endlessly in the media as the next big thing. JCK isn’t afraid to step outside the boundaries of the genre and use ideas from other musical styles to craft his songs.

His subject matter is yet another point of difference – dark and edgy, yet at times hilarious (like on the opener Rise of the Emo Clones) it’s refreshing to hear.

There are moments where he lapses into cliché, such as on the track Killer which stands out for its excessiveness and blatant violent overtones, a contrast to the majority of the album.

It’s the tracks where JCK raps about things close to his life, or makes entertaining observations on things he’s seen or pop culture, that show his real talent.

The Bees is an album that takes some time to get into, but overall is worth listening to.