It’s taken a few years, but Jaye IV finally finds his centre on the incredible ‘Pay The Price’ [Pulse EP Review]

In 2019, Pulse Nigeria’s Perez Hilton, Odion Okonofua sent in an email for an artist named Jaye IV, who had just released his EP, ‘Price To Pay.’

The University of Lagos alum featured a Buju on the EP - the song was named on Vol. 89 of Who Get Ear. A little while later, he released the 4-track Leak Tape. Then in June 2020, he released the crowning moment of his short career, Pay The Price EP.

This time, he’d found his balance as an artist; a rapper with excellent Trapsoul leaning. He’s like a lovechild between 6lack and American rapper, Kelechi.

On his 6lack side, he is like an R&B artist with a Hip-Hop core as 6lack describes himself on ‘Scripture.’ He has the ability to expand the range of his primary topic with different scenarios. On his Kelechi side, the similarities come with how he utilizes his voice and technique on Afroswing/Afro-pop beats - especially ‘Let’s Go.’

While he speaks with clear enunciation and even a slight, seemingly intentional British accent, figuring out his topical or thematic leaning on certain songs is a bit of a hassle. This can make his scenarios hard to follow.

Nonetheless, records like ‘Pop It,’ ‘Old Ghetto’ and ‘Messiah Complex' have clarity. While other records aren’t scatterbrained and ‘Let’s Go’ is about Jaye’s will to succeed for his mom, it can be hard to pin down the exact thing he’s talking about.

That said, Pay The Price EP is a supreme delight across seven tracks. To flex his Afro-pop roots, he experiments with Afroswing on ‘DnD,’ ‘Messiah Complex,’ ‘Just Do It,’ ‘My Life’ and ‘Let Go.’

While he makes pop music, a listener is almost oblivious because he retains his rap cadences, and delivers in pure English across all his tracks. As much as Jaye IV deserves credit for his ear for beats, which produces these seven amazing beats, his producers also deserve a shout-out.

Damie and Steph, who produced for Jaye on ‘Pick A Side EP’ and has also produced ‘L’enu’ for Buju need to be put to work ASAP. It is to Jaye’s credit that some listeners’ inability to sometimes pinpoint his typical conversation doesn’t matter.

His technique, delivery and ability to form a musical relationship with beats to deliver syrupy music is first class and rare. The scary part is that Jaye is still in development, albeit in the fourth and final phase.

When he’s fully formed, only God knows what Jaye would be making because this EP is an absolute fxxxing madness. He has a unique ability to match the beat with the right technique while tweaking his voice to project the right emotion for the topic he wants to articulate.

With how he admits that he’s underrated on ‘Pop It’ and his will to enrich his mom on ‘Let’ Go,’ it feels like he possesses the hunger and drive to make it. The next phase of his development and his next EP is potentially scary.

Whether he’s discussing love on ‘DnD’ or debauchery on ‘Pop It,’ the projected emotions are measured and perfect. It got to a point where he sounds like Tomi Thomas on ‘Messiah Complex.’

This is easily one of the best EPs this writer has heard in 2021.

Ratings: /10

• 0-1.9: Flop

• 2.0-3.9: Near fall

• 4.0-5.9: Average

• 6.0-7.9: Victory

• 8.0-10: Champion

Pulse Rating: /10

8.7 - Champion