I’ve made no secret of my respect for Jonwayne over the past few years. Sure there’s the whole “aw man you’re just a backpacker” response from some people , but I don’t have a problem with that. I like a healthy mix of cerebral and visceral vibes in my hip hop – something which a lot of Jonwayne’s contemporaries just don’t offer. I’m rarely ‘in the club’ so booming bass, 808s and a billion high hat hits don’t really factor for me. The LA-based emcee just released a new EP, Jonwayne is Retired, and it confirms my belief that he’s one of the best lyricists doing it right now. Get it.
Thing is, he also released this statement with the press release issued with the release: “Pay attention: Jonwayne Is Retired. He is no longer making beats. Or rapping. He is not writing rhymes. There will be no clever contemplation. No new flips of phrase; no witty banter. Your brain won’t try to keep up. Jonwayne Is Retired.”
I don’t really know what to make of it. He’s always been pretty earnest with these kinda remarks. Let’s hope it’s a gag!
