Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Joplin rapper Jake J-Thrill Bennett is gearing up for the release of his new EP :(Emotions): on May 11th, but today you can watch a music video for the first single “Hype.” The new record is a chronological look into what it’s like to release something in today’s digital age and “Hype” is about the initial rush of excitement an artist feels after releasing new music.
“There can be so much doubt and uncertainty when putting something you’ve worked on for so long out into the public,” says J-Thrill. “People you know may hate it and people you don’t know may love it… you just never know.“
The video for “Hype” has a real throwback quality to it with the VHS style production and splicing in a few crude, albeit well-placed, pop culture references. A thumping synth anchors the track, as Bennett’s precise words skip around the beat.
Often praised for his honest delivery and lyrical content, J-Thrill’s music largely consists of live instruments, bringing a fresh sound to the hip-hop genre. When he’s not recording and performing with the likes Nothing,Nowhere., Andy Mineo, and Social Club, J-Thrill plays bass in the band Me Like Bees. He tours the country with the indie rock quartet, showing yet another example of the young rapper’s versatility.
On the new EP :(Emotions):, Bennett takes listeners on a journey through his mind as he was releasing his last full-length record, VS. The expectations you can have for something, the hype you feel when people are excited about it and the disappointment that follows when you realize they don’t care as much as you do. What do you do when something you thought was your magnum opus doesn’t meet those expectations? Are you a failure, even though you created something you believed in? How do you move on? Bennett lays it all out unashamedly in :(Emotions):, inviting us to share in his vulnerability of failure.
Pre-order :(Emotions): here.
