Straight from the couch of counterculture, vocalists and rappers Buddy and Kent Jamz join forces and bring us their collaborative album, Janktape Vol. 1.
Janktape Vol. 1 is a 10-track offering of eight duets by the Los Angles County crooners. We get solo efforts in “Burberry Party” by Buddy and “In Search Of” by Kent Jamz.
Depicting themselves as Beavis and Butt-Head through its album art, Janktape Vol. 1 shows that when it comes to acting jank and juvenile, it is better when the two are together rather than apart.
The bad boys of R&G each are following up their major label debut LPs–Kent Jamz’s 2017 album titled 2008, with four-man group OverDoz, and Buddy’s 2018 album Harlan & Alondra. In kind, The Janktape Vol. 1, also comes provided courtesy of RCA Records.
Here, crew pride is no stranger. The album art features OverDoz paraphernalia, such as relics like a 2008 poster and a foam finger illustrative of the A$AP Ferg aided song “F#*k Yo DJ.”
Its vibes are smooth, weird, and heady; liquid funk abounds. As the title and cartoon depiction suggest, Janktape Vol. 1 has fairly sophomoric subject matter. There’s a lot of explicit egocentrism packaged in possessiveness, incessantly being the object of desire, and philandering with your romantic interest. But the album also sheds light on relatively more serious matters, such as the reality of temperamental attraction and the emotional tailspin that can result (see “Terrified”).
Janktape Vol.1, however, is no less cleverly arranged than the superficiality the album cover suggests. There are lover-boy jams like “Pass By Me,” routine mischief on “Bad Boys” and some refined recklessness on “Heatwave.”
And if you’re looking for straight feels, the two harmonize over “Inconsistent,” an acoustic guitar and refrain heavy jam about how they’ve been accused of being wishy washy and unreliable.
Further reminding us of their artistic roots, Kent Jamz shows love to Buddy’s former label heads, The Neptunes, through the riding music selected on “In Search Of.” It turns out that Pharrell not only signed and mentored Buddy but he introduced him to Kent Jamz.
Ay! I’m not gone lie, @kentjamz is one of my best friends in the world. Pharrell introduced us. It’s different, we been making music for years! So honored to announce JANKTAPE VOL. 1 out now on all streaming platforms blah blah blah 🧛🏿♂️ pic.twitter.com/mWZB95AAXf
— BUDDY (@Buddy) April 17, 2020
Pharrell also produced and is featured on OverDoz’s 2015 single “Last Kiss.”
Listen to Janktape Vol. 1 via Spotify, and Apple Music below. You can hear Janktape Vol. 1 through other platforms here.
