Jay Rock: The new 'Eastside' anthem really, really, really - really - hits hard
You know an anthem slaps when you’ve had it on repeat for a straight 60 minutes. Turns out West Coast rap heavyweight Jay Rock is leaning hard on the grind time goals with his new ‘Eastside’ single.
Jay Rock’s new ‘Eastside’ goes extra hard
Low-key? This is my go-to workout anthem but if you’re just looking for a fire new tune, you can’t go wrong with Jay delivering his signature witty lyrics and the production? Tough.
Grammy Award-Winning artist, Jay Rock unveils “Eastside,” his first solo single in five years.
Produced by TDE labelmate Kal Banx, “Eastside,” becomes the perfect canvas for Jay Rock to flex his variety of vocal talents and the gruff delivery fans have come to love. With remarkable economy—Jay Rock manages to fit vivid images and dynamic storytelling into sleek, clipped bars—“Eastside” communicates exactly what it means to grow up around his way.
The single marks Jay Rock’s first solo release in the half-decade span since Redemption, the 2018 album that confirmed his status as one of the sharpest observers and most uncompromising storytellers to emerge from California in his generation. Songs from the album earned him three of his four Grammy nominations: Best Rap Song for both “Win” and his Kendrick Lamar, Future, and James Blake collaboration “King’s Dead,” which took home the trophy in the Best Rap Performance category and has garnered over 2.5 billion global streams and counting. “King’s Dead” was also featured on Black Panther: The Album, the widely acclaimed soundtrack to the 2018 box office hit Black Panther.
Prior to 2018, Jay Rock’s status was already unquestionable in the West. More than a decade before then, he signed a major label deal and scored a hit with the Lil Wayne- and will.i.am-assisted “All My Life (In the Ghetto).” He then landed on XXL’s coveted Freshman cover and helped spearhead TDE’s takeover of the hip-hop world. His first two albums, 2011’s Follow Me Home and 2015’s 90059, each rank among the grittiest, most deeply considered street rap albums of the century so far.
With new music on the horizon, Jay Rock aims to further cement his already considerable legacy.