Jireh is a name well known around the Baton Rouge and New Orleans underground hip-hop scene for his incredibly smooth deliveries over innovative, lo-fi production, as well as his dedication to craft and artistry. After releasing his last two albums consecutively in 2020 and 2021, Jireh is now back with a 5 track EP entitled ‘Quit Playin’, almost fully self-produced, in which he further solidifies himself as a rising star in the lo-fi landscape. In between skits pulled from popular viral internet videos (“He needs to leave that dope ALONE!”), Jireh raps thought-provoking and emotion-evoking lyrics over his own beautifully crafted beats, with an air of professionalism and confidence that belies his status as a relative newcomer in the industry. He also enlists help from collaborators based near and far, such as Queens, N.Y.’s sectiontoo, Baton Rouge’s Rahj Raps, St. Lucia’s Kayo, and Cleveland’s Kipp Stone, in order to create a short story all his own.

Born and raised in BR, a city deep in the heart of Louisiana and often overlooked as a hub for great hip-hop, Jireh is from a place where it can be easy for artists to lose faith, as national attention doesn’t always fall on the city. However, despite this, Jireh takes immense pride in where he comes from– “I take it with me everywhere I go; it’s the drawl in my voice, the twang when I rap- it shows up everywhere.” With unwavering confidence, he remains unfazed by the obstacles that come with being from a smaller city. You can hear him reassure his audience (as well as himself) throughout ‘Quit Playin’ to have faith in his journey, his talent, his skill, and that everything will work out in the end. On the opening track, he raps, “What it’s gon’

take to make you trust yourself? ... If times get shaky, put your trust in me.” With that, Jireh dares us all to put our trust in him, and on the rest of the EP, he proves exactly why we should do just that. He doesn’t just ask us to believe in him; he forces us to. Citing his influences as some of the most influential and unorthodox artists to break from the underground into the
mainstream, namely Isaiah Rashad and Earl Sweatshirt, Jireh shows through his own unique style why he deserves to be mentioned alongside such names. With meaningful lyrics and impassioned flows laid over impressive instrumentals which he himself built from scratch, the skilled emcee adamantly separates himself from the rest of the pack of upcoming rappers in today’s game, distinguishing himself as an artist who is, simply put, built different. On the closing track ‘Church’, he confidently spits “I’m used to sh*ttin’ on you n****s, please don’t take offense”, and on the track ‘Don’t Sleep’, he states with conviction, “B-boy sh*t, the way we step’ll leave they heads spinnin’.” And why shouldn’t Jireh be this confident, after releasing two full length albums in just two years and negotiating an agreement with Roc-Nation’s new and bubbling indie distro company, Equity Distributions? It seems obvious to everyone who’s had the immense pleasure of hearing a Jireh record that he is a spring filled with tension, lurking in the underground, just waiting to be released into the forefront of the up and coming rap scene. If there’s one thing you should do after listening to this record, it’s this: Quit Playin’ with Jireh.