WIN, WIN, WIN

Jay Rock is the foundation on which TDE was built and it is great that he is showing why that was.

Entering the third leg of his rap race, Jay Rock shows why he is still running!

For the longest I have been waiting for Jay Rock to have that cemented album to display why he deserves to be held as one of the top dogs at Top Dawg. And please before anyone mentions "90059" understand that I personally feel that album is better than "Redemption". However, for an artist to make that move into the mainstream arena, you have to produce a commercial product, which is what Jay Rock finally accomplished.

“Ay this that Eastside Johnny, big redemption like Know what I'm talkin' 'bout? Hol' up Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah” -"Win"

From the onset, the tone of his lead single "Win", you can tell that Rock knows he has created that project, that will not just be confined to the hood or the projects of America (and by no means is this to be contextualized or inferred as being a bad thing). Jay Rock still caters to that core audience with tracks like "ES Tales, Rotation 112th, and Troopers", but mixes that with clear mainstream appeal radio singles like "The Bloodiest, King's Dead, Win and Tap Out", and it's the radio that defines who has the star power, even in this internet, stream service age.

Now that Jay Rock has these singles, commercially he elevates his status from being just that guy on the label to being a pivotal place holder along the sides of both Kendrick and Schoolboy Q who both have had wide commercial success. Ultimately this is how you stay around for years to come, or you work endlessly to never disappear in the underground market (i.e Currensy, Nipsey Hussle, Tech Nine).

"I'm just part of a winning family, call me Marlon Jackson" -Broke+

Always as humble as he is, Jay Rock echoes the same sentiments in "Broke+" that has haunted me for the longest being a big fan of Rock. He knows that he is not the Michael Jackson of his team, but as the lead catalyst to get TDE going from the jump, it has never felt right for me to not see Rock getting the shine he well deserved, because without Rock, there may be no emergence of TDE. Clearly when it comes to TDE, Rock is everybody big brother, and sometimes being the oldest means you take the most L's for everyone else to learn how to Win.

I'm just glad Jay Rock with a family that never took his losses as solely for stepping stones.

Click the photo caption to head directly to streaming this project!