Jessica Ho also well known as Jessi currently, is a singer that has been in the Korean music industry for many years. She went to Korea from her hometown of New Jersey at the age of fifteen but didn't have a successful music career after deciding not to join SM Entertainment. Her music did help progress the movement of hip hop/RnB in Korea during a time that it wasn't widely excepted though. It took Miss Ho many years to reach mainstream success. From being in different groups to features on other artist's albums, She continued to be active while gaining a underground following until she was asked to be a contestant on a female rap competition called, Unpretty Rapstar. Jessi's spunky and outspoken attitude gained her wide recognition with South Korean viewers. She took home second place on the show then consistently released digital singles until the later part of 2017. UN2VERSE is Jessi's first mini album since her launch to fame.
Track List:
01. Gucci
02. Boing (Feat. 창모)
03. 걸음걸이 (Feat. Year of the OX)
04. Spirit Animal
05. Arrived
Jessi is an artist that likes her music to be her way or no way at all. She's a very strong person with a strong presence when she raps or sings. In this confidence, she also uplifts all her listeners along with her fanbase. GUCCI is the title track of UN2VERSE, that starts with sliding violins leading into a kick ass punchline beat. There's also a saxophone sound sample that makes the whole instrumental come together. I'm a little confused about whether Jessi considers herself a rapper or a singer? She said many times that she sees herself as a singer that can rap…. However, many people see her as a rapper. This mini album plays at the idea that she is both with tracks using Jessi's ability to perform both equally. I like how she doesn't try to sound like any other singer. She just does her own thing. Her lyrics really speak to the listener too. Especially if you don't have confidence in yourself and you need someone to say that you are THAT BITCH! UN2VERSE's lyrics are written like she is boosting herself up but Jessie's swag is so convincing that you as the listener can't help but feel more confident too. The album's tracklist is straight up hip hop, RnB, and a random Jazz track. Each track are experiences that Jessi wanted to share with fans through her lyrics. Also wasn't too worried about the feature rappers. Jessi would never have a rapper hop on a track with her that didn't bring the fire.. Most of Jessi's fans know that this girl has had a hard time in her music career. The popularity that she has now was a long time coming for her. I'm very proud of her grind and her strong will to not give up.
Jessi has a deep raspy voice that can be a deal breaker for a listener or a reason to keep listening to her music. I know that her voice isn't for everyone. My favorite songs by Jessi are actually the songs that are ballads. Her quality of voice also makes her voice perfect for rapping. I just wan't a big fan of her rap songs until after that music she released during/after Unpretty Rapstar. I personally consider her a singer because her voice doesn't fit into the norm of what Koreans are used to hearing. Which was also one of the reasons why her music career didn't have a fun start. Koreans weren't giving her type of sound the time of day back then…. The mini album has songs where she sings some harmonies with such force that I could only stop what I was doing and listen closely. Don't get me completely wrong either, I love me some rap style Jessi if it's songs that have tight choruses as well as Jessi killing the flow game with meaningful lyrics. Her rap flow gets this reggae vibe when she gets really into the grove of the beat which I like a lot.
I've replayed UN2VERSE at least five times now. GUCCI is my jam on top of the other tracks. Well, my least favorite track is Boing. Just wasn't feeling the sound of the chorus. It's a song with a great message for female neither less. All the other track are so solid that you have enough to choose from though. KEEP DOING YOUR THANG GURL!
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