heaveN caN waiT: thE revieW

A-Reece and Jay Jody, at their core, are naturally collaborative artists. Jay Jody is, of course, one half of B3nchMarQ, and we have heard A-Reece on several collaborative efforts such as L3 (Long Lost Letters), Thanks For Nothing and Fire In The Water to name a few. It is only right that these gentlemen, who are blood brothers, finally came together to deliver heaveN caN waiT: thE narroW dooR (vol. 1), their much-anticipated first project together.

Throughout 2021, we heard the two collaborate on their respective albums, such as MORNING PEACE on Today’s Tragedy, Tomorrow’s Memory, and New Friend$ on Power Trip Album. However, THE SAME THING, the fourth track from A-Reece’s March release, is the collaboration that must have inspired the title for this album. The brothers detail some of the traumatic experiences that they have experienced, but none more traumatic than the passing of their father in 2020.

“Tell me, can I call you even though you’re on the other side?

Can you hear me call on you? If you’re there, give me another sign.

Should I give it time? Without you, I cannot survive…”

A-Reece on THE SAME THING

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a project with the title “heaveN caN waiT” kicks off with an emphasis on living your life. It’s something that can get taken away from us in the blink of an eye. Why not make the most out of it? Jody often references a near-death experience in his raps. On the album opener, he says “I gotta eat ’cause I’m from a city where n****s will feed you lead.” As someone who almost had his life taken away from him, he understands how important it is. Despite the somewhat melancholic meaning behind the title, the album is a vibrant listen. It’s filled with catchy hooks, impressive rapping and upbeat production. One could argue that the only record on the album that isn’t upbeat is thE confrontatioN (more on that song a little later).

An interesting element to focus on throughout the album is the chemistry between the two brothers. They are both at different stages in their lives, and for a couple of years, we did not hear any collaborations between them. However, A-Reece constantly speaks about Jody being the one who inspired him to rap. From a stylistic point of view, you can hear the similarities. On automatiC, they are glaring. They are the “singing kind-of rappers” A-Reece spoke of on Paradise. They can flow in the same melodic pockets, go bar-for-bar, and give each other the requisite space to shine. bilL russelL is one of the standout songs on the album for those very reasons. You can hear the slick rapping from both of them, from Reece speaking about how his records don’t come with a dance challenge, but the flow’s doing the tango he should’ve written it in Spanish, to Jody’s clever usage of alliteration throughout his verse.

“Hella demons on defence, I’m runnin’ through (Yeah)

Demigod, I’m far apart from the floor

Star from the start, I’m hella fly, what’s buggin’ you?

Told y’all from the start you’d never starve

Had niggas’ backs but now these dudes is really frontin’ too

Small circle, a pyramid scheme, pick a shape

I bet you know how we charge n****s, so pick a date

Bank breakin’, break breakin’, rest in the safe”

Jay Jody on bilL russelL

This album, and the entire year for that matter, can be seen as a coming-out party for Jody. Hearing him in this different setting should gain him a lot of fans. Something that should also endear him to many rap fans is his verse on thE confrontatioN. That verse is some of the most real lyrics you’ll hear this year. A cold, 2-minute introspective look inside the life of an independent rapper. 

“Imagine staring at the mirror and you can’t see you

Just the brand that you built up to try to feed you.

And the brands are watching, n***a, so can’t speak truth”

Truly one of the best verses you will hear this year. However, the verse that caused an uproar on social media was A-Reece’s on the same song. He took the time to address some of his feelings towards his former TWC / RUBBERBVNDGVNG members. Due to several differences, the crew split up. Some members decided to tell their version of events immediately after the split. Reece, for the most part, remained silent about it. The response to the verse has been polarizing so far, but one thing is for sure, the split has been difficult for fans to witness. The good music hasn’t slowed down though, and we can still appreciate that, no matter whose side you’re on.

The album, despite some valid criticism on the mixing and mastering, is an enjoyable listen. It is concise. It is conceptual, and this is just volume 1. If these two ever decide to release a second album together, they will build on what was a solid first effort together.

Stream the album below: