John J the Wolf no doubt has some of the greatest and most diverse talent that the mainstream rap world has yet to know. His newest EP release, “Still Howling Two”, is another impressive showcase of that luminous talent. The EP obviously presented John J with a challenge of sorts. He wouldn’t have an entire album to showcase his skill, instead, he would have to say everything he wanted to in just seven tracks. Cutting down a full length album is tough enough, let alone an EP. Then again, a shorter release could have also given John J the Wolf the motivation to focus solely on those 7 tracks, and in turn give fans the best he had to offer. With the indie rapper seeking a center of balance for himself, a closer look at “Still Howling Two” reveals the kind of expertise he has mastered in releasing EP’s.
In fact the last five projects released by John J the Wolf, each contains from 5 to 8 tracks max. So the man knows how to lay down a concise but explicit project that is loaded with all the goodies, but is never bloated or overloaded with excess fat. And that rules applies her again on “Still Howling Two”.
The catchy frequencies of “Pain To Power 5 Love Letters” and “Pain To The Power” are still resonating in my ears. But John J the Wolf thinks there`s no time to waste, so he drops another this on us.
“Put My Mic On” opens the album very dangerously smart. What it`s like? Like an army of thirsty Rap soldiers rolled into one. Strangely powerful. This fierce banger will make your astonishment chills stone cold. It`s another phenomenal production by Seven.
“All Falls Down” is another kick-ass mic performance by John J. Raw, real bar spits are everywhere, as he continues with less dramatic, but super-high wisdom. “It’s The Fuck It In Me” sees the rapper crying out: “I’m so sick, I need a doctor not a manager.” John J again switches on his crazy-wicked-half-humorous Rap side and smashes the verses.
“What We Become” sees Scotty P and Jay Kreamer join the mic massacre and do the job exceptionally well. The surprise comes on track five, “5 Star 2.0” which features Kxng Crooked aka Crooked I from Shady Records super group Slaughterhouse.
I can’t praise this song enough. Everything about it works brilliantly. The verses just captivates the listener and evokes a myriad of emotions. This song proves that John J can carry off any song regardless of the company he is keeping.
“Revenge Is Sweet” is a typical John J the Wolf head-nodding groove song. Featuring Scotty P and Bumpz, the hooks are pretty catchy and the verses are well delivered. The beat and chorus are way above average, making for an enjoyable listening experience that will put a little spark in your heel.
“Faded” comes in with a determined voicemail message from a lady who is emotionally on fire and demanding a pizza delivery from her man. The verses are introspectively driven and explore some of the parts of John J’s life stories. This song shows us another side of the narrator and I like it. This final track really brings the entire EP full-circle, just as every ending song should.
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