Just John - “OPEN WOUND”

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

Pairs Well With…Juice WRLD, JPEGMAFIA, Bartees Strange

Just John falls well into the emo hip-hop wave, an artist throwing off genre expectations for experimental, heart-forward songcraft. Punk, industrial, and alt-rock influences also inform Just John’s music, an artist constantly taking risks with visceral results. The harder the better - songs like “BLACK GHOST” and “City X” that are more post-punk than hip hop are some of the strongest in Just John’s burgeoning catalog. Edgy and angry, there’s real emotion in Just John’s music that lands fully even with so much musical experimentation going around his vulnerable core. The Canadian artist performs alongside fellow Canucks at Lucille on Thursday night as part of Range Magazine’s eclectic showcase - heads up for a collaboration with Snotty Nose Rez Kids on their latest mixup “Sink or Swim” as they close later that night. (Kevin McStravick)