Jay Electronica’s “A Written Testimony” Feels More Like a Collab Than a Debut

Going along with the theme of 2020, an event as unprecedented as any other, lost rapper Jay Electronica has finally blessed us with his debut solo project. The man basically went AWOL as soon as he popped, living the last decade as a myth in the rap community. Jay Elec first came on to the scene in 2007 after dropping his debut mixtape “Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)” which was a 15-minute project over the score of the film “Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” which gained high praise from music critics and fans alike. A few years later he returned with two singles “Exhibit A” featuring Mos Def and “Exhibit C” both of which were produced by Just Blaze and also earning high praise from the rap community. 

Over the next ten years, Jay Electronica’s existence in rap was somewhere between rap’s biggest question mark and the likes of a mythical creature, only popping up for a masterful verse every so often like on Chance the Rapper’s “How Great” and the legendary “Control” where he and Kendrick Lamar assisted Big Sean in shaking up the rap world. All this to say that the man himself Jay Electronica has not released a full solo project in over ten years. What’s interesting is that during his hiatus, his status in the rap game has been somewhat solidified although his discography can only be described as scarce, some would even say empty, but all that seems to have changed with the release of his debut.

After saying he would be getting in the studio for 40 days and 40 nights back in February, several videos showing snippets of songs and pictures of Jay Electronica in the studio began to surface on the internet, along with confirmations of the project from famous Hip-Hop producers Swizz Beats and the famous engineer Young Guru who engineered most of Jay-Z’s projects. There was also a rumor going around that the project would be featuring Roc Nation boss Jay-Z, a rumor that doubled the decade long anticipation for Electronica’s debut album.  

It only took ten years, but Jay Electronica’s debut album, “A Written Testimony” is here. Hip-Hop fans rejoice as we finally get what we’ve waited a whole decade for, the first full studio project from the great Jay Electronica. But after the first listen what any listener will notice is a prominent feature. The project released by Roc Nation, featured the Billionaire boss himself on almost every song. Standing at 10 songs, 40 minutes, Jay-Z is featured on 8 of the tracks. “Watch The Throne” esque, the project prominently consisted of Jay and Jay trading verses over beats either produced by Jay Electronica himself, or some of the greatest Hip-Hop producers ever. Six of which he did himself, others credited including NO I.D., The Alchemist, Khruangbin, Swizz Beats, Hit-Boy and AraabMuzik. The production echoes a balanced backdrop of 90’s aesthetics and 21st-century execution. The beats are smooth and abstract in vibe, yet naked and raw in sound, giving the two wordsmiths more than enough space to dominate and the two do just that.

As a solo project, let alone an artist’s debut, you’d expect to get more than just a taste of what that artist can do on their own. It’s not that Jay Electronica didn’t show his ability, but more so the fact that the project is somewhat dominated by Jay-Z. Hov doesn’t just feature on these songs, he lays down some of the best verses we’ve heard from him in a while, full of the “rags to riches” stories, the masterful metaphors and the double entendres we’re used to, boosted by billion-dollar references. A career evolving in similar ways to superstar athletes like Tom Brady or Lebron James, Hov’s ability has only gotten better as he’s aged. One of the few rappers who has been able to squeeze out the absolute most from each word since he first stepped onto the scene, this project shows off Hov’s lyrical prowess more than any project he’s released in the last 15 years besides “Watch the Throne” and possibly “4:44.”

Not many rappers in the history of rap can spar with Jay-Z let alone when he’s as deep in his bag as he is on “A Written Testimony,” but, that’s not to say that Jay Electronica didn’t hold his own. Jay Electronica’s wide vocabulary is just a tool in his amazing wordplay. His ability to fit the right words together so effortlessly is amazing. But his lyrical ability isn’t nearly as multifaceted as Hov’s, and his content was somewhat difficult to place. A mixture of references to Allah and the Muslim faith balanced with peeks into his mindset during the process of making this debut album, the pressure of his empty legacy and the potential we all know he has.

The album is good, borderline great, depending on the perspective you have. However, as a debut album, it doesn’t feel like it hits the mark. As a listener, you’re still only given a small glimpse of Jay Electronica’s ability as a solo artist while being forced to marvel at the skills of another MC. But at the same time, when you take a step back, this album may be similar to “Watch the Throne” in how it crystalizes over time. While most Jay Electronica fans might’ve been hoping for a project where Jay Elec was more prominent, hopefully over time we can better appreciate such an elegant display of rapping ability.