If you have yet to hear the name Jay Wood, you’re easily missing out on one of hip-hop’s best new artists. The Chicago rapper/producer captures listeners with vulnerable, relatable songwriting and ironclad vocals that pierce through instrumentals. His sound falls into a gap between rap and R&B but exudes creativity as it floats through different artistic spaces.
On his new single “HANDSOME,” he showcases the dynamic style that got us hooked, to begin with. Wood lays his vanities and emotions out on the table. Swaying between soulful inquiry and nimble and quick-witted bars, Woods illustrates the depth of the early promise he originally flexed on his succinct yet sprawling debut project “TRACKSTAR.” The new single is a fun, nostalgic track where Wood explores the tension that long distance and constant traveling put on a relationship. Packed with throwback samples and bouncy production from Jay Wood and Nashville’s Dmndstr, the duo deliver a summer bop that nods to the 80s and early 2000s.
“HANDSOME” puts to bed any lingering questions about whether Jay Wood had only struck gold with previous releases by chance. He is an artist ready to deliver gold and spit fire on every one of his releases, and his latest proves just that.
Listen to “HANDSOME” below:
