Jabee - “I Don’t Kill Easy” (feat. Cash Lansky)

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…Atmosphere, A Tribe Called Quest, Murs

Jabee is studied in classic and indie hip hop tones, rapping over jazzy, straight beats and weaving lyrically dense verses with smooth ease. 90s influences are clear in Jabee’s tone and wordplay, part battle rap and part pass-the-mic flow. With multiple records under his belt since debuting fifteen or so years ago, Jabee’s maturity shows especially on his 2020 full-length This World Is So Fragile and Cruel I’m Glad I Got You, a serious record that sees Jabee looking over his life, growing through pain to come out better on the other side. There’s a loose, grooving vibe across the album that has a way of hiding how precise Jabee is on the mic, a nice balance with easy appeal. Consistent and sharp as an MC, Jabee is a rapper’s rapper and an artist that is still growing in this next era of his career. (Kevin McStravick)