Album: JT The Bigga Figga – Mr. Vice President

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JT The Bigga Figga’s name may not ring bells like it should within the Hip Hop and music industry, however if you look at what he has achieved in his 14 year-plus career you will realize that he has more than earned his stripes.

His résumé includes launching the Get Low Records imprint in the mid-90’s, which essentially drew the blueprint for independent Hip Hop labels in the West Coast, as well as being the first to discover a raw and unpolished rapper by the name of Jayceon Taylor, who would go on to be one of Hip Hop biggest superstars, The Game.

Now as Snoop Dogg is looking to put California back on top of the Hip Hop world, JT has the opportune position of being one of the ambassadors on the frontline with the big Dogg. The first shot was fired with Snoop’s Big Squeeze compilation earlier this year and now it continues with JT The Bigga Figga’s latest solo release, Mr. Vice President.

Looking At My Rollie, essentially a braggadocios flossing anthem, greets you with that familiar funk-drenched synthesizer sound, as JT waxes poetic about his timepiece among other material items. The dramatic title track sees the Bigga Figga exuding veteran status, unapologetically spitting about the means himself and many of his counterparts use to survive. The awesome opening track Wonderful Feeling works to similar effect - check out the vocoder.

Every now and then, the San Francisco native has forayed into social commentary and more emotionally invested material but not to the level of stand-out cut Protect & Elevate, an anthem dedicated to women, as he explains are the creators of life and need to be emotionally elevated and protected by men.

In a similar vein is the emotional closing track Freedom Fighters. JT’s lyrics, along with some powerful vocal excerpts, paint the picture of the disenfranchised position of African-American people and how they are still being taken advantage of and held down to this day, using the likes of Suge Knight’s financial woes and the profit made from Tupac’s posthumous material as examples.

While proud of his past accomplishments, luckily he also has an eye on the future, updating his sound to mostly listenable effect. However, some of his attempts at revamping his style are misguided and awkwardly executed as is the end result of the Southern-flavored Back In The Game and the Hyphy-infused World Wide. His swagger and lyrical content drags them above complete mediocrity though.

While not necessarily offering anything new to Hip Hop as a whole, it certainly carves out a new progression in JT’s style and a different direction for Hip Hop in California. It may not be wholly engaging enough for some new converts, but if you strip away the pretence and expectations it is a solid effort from an artist constantly working and always on that independent grind.

Available Through Mandatory Business Records