Advertisement

Red background with face of black man wearing sunglasses and the word ENIGMA in blue and pink running up the left side

It felt like last football season we weathered the President's attempts to use racism to make himself appear patriotic.

In 1985, our president (pre-presidency) tried to move the USFL into direct competition with the NFL. After winning a lawsuit regarding monopoly laws his method of conflict ran the USFL into the ground.

Is it weirder that the guy is using racial divisiveness during football season instead of caring about American citizens, or that the NFL wouldn't sell this guy a team 30 years ago so he ran another league into the ground out of spite?

One of the people who seemingly led the victory over the president's divisiveness is Lebron James, who showed complete class in uniting sport fans. In 2018, my guess is whoever the MVP of this month's NBA finals will not be visiting the White House.

In Columbus, Ohio, you can't think Lebron James without thinking about his support of local Hip Hop group Fly Union. Jay Swifa of Fly Union just released his first solo album called Enigma.

During his stint in Fly Union, Jay Swifa worked with rappers like Big Sean, and Curren$y, and the Columbus ground placed a song in NBA2K14. Swifa and Iyeball produced fellow Union's.

The first 3 songs “Worship,” “FTP” (featuring Marcellus Juvann) and “Amen PT. 3” have Swifa sonically letting you know he knows how to make a soundscape while informing you about himself like rappers do. You can catch him walking around High Street. He is from the Northside. Women like his clothing. He drinks Chai Latte's. He prefers sex in a manner where the sightline compliments the women's posterior. Swifa wants to smoke weed. He wants to find financial security for his family.

Now that Swifa has introduced himself, Enigma goes from head nod material to certified fresh.

“Billionz” ft. Hodgie has a guitar loop over a drum chop and some synths pick up the attention span a notch.

“Restricted” is Jay Swifa rapping about a distressed relationship with a reverbed loop that sounds reversed into a “Hey” vocal sample, percussions and synths. This segues into “Dystopia” which is uptempo. “Dystopia” is somewhere between the percussion of “Call Ticketron” a dance song, and 2009 Kid Cudi.

“Sky High” rocks a reggae rhythm post-Grand Puba's “Proper Education” which is Swifa living above the crowds into a soul break.

Whenever I mention old Hip Hop I do it so if you like rap music, you will look the song up. If you like Grand Puba and then start listening to Jay Swifa because of my review; this goes to show we are all like-minded individuals.

“Sky High” isn't rooted in NGE discussion but does have a desire to provide a better future for the seeds.

Enigma finishes up with “The End” which has stunted synth almost half notes with spiraling drum machine triggers while giving you something to smoke weed with ladies.

The Final Song, “SwagD Out” has a similar march with helium vocals. Swifa signs off giving shouts to Columbus neighborhood's and streets.

If you want an album that's production is probably the best you can get in Columbus, that is hopeful in spirit but not caustic…hopeful in spirit and lacking corrosiveness is something weed right now; I suggest listening to Jay Swifa's Enigma.

 

Appears in Issue: