LABOR V2

Happy Belated

LABOR V2 by Jaden Smith

Recommended by Kim C.

"I've decided that I like Jaden. He's a pretty cool dude. I think his sound needs a couple more years to mature, but his lyrics are already there. Good track. I like his work so far."

This track was released on YouTube in celebration of Jaden Smith's 18th birthday, and he seems to be enjoying his coming-of-age, if you will. After all, this is the first time he's put any curse words in his lyrics (x).

The long-awaited track is pretty lengthy at 6 minutes, and the intro is nearly 2 minutes long. After moths of teasers for new music, what's a few more minutes of waiting to hear Smith's voice?

Then you've got a similarly long, jazzy outro.

Kid takes his time.

Except when it comes to spitting sentences. There's not even a chorus or anything - he just lays down these lyrics in one long go that "feels like free-flowing word association" (x).

The themes range from confident reflections on how grown Smith himself has become (18th birthday, remember?) to calling out Miley Cyrus for her wild phase during her late teens to fashion to race relations. It's a journey.

Anyway, I like this guy, too. Brave and well-spoken. Read about his open-minded fashion choices (and the reasons behind them) here.

Overview:

Genre:
Jazzy Hip Hop

Favorite Lyrics:
Peter Piper picked a golden pencil from a shoulder,
turned a lyricist into a soldier.

Verdict:
This is how I'm celebrating my next birthday.