Overlooked: Jesse Abraham “I Am Water” (Album Review) Posted by Dharmic X on 02/04/13 | Filed under Opinion, Album Reviews, Streams, Overlooked, Jesse Abraham

Brooklyn by way of Manhattan rhymer Jesse Abraham earned the uniquely rare distinction last week of being the first artist, manager, or PR person to contact me personally with a request to review his or her project for RefinedHype’s "Overlooked" series. It’s honor I’m sure he’ll cherish for many years now, more lofty an accolade than being named 2011 Underground Music Award’s “Lyricist of the Year.”

Okay... So I was being sarcastic in referring to the prestige level of this series, but I used the tactic to emulate Jesse’s style of wit, which seems to come from his willingness to think outside of the box and be true to himself, something readily apparent in his most recent release, “I Am Water”.

“Brush Your Teeth” is a perfect example of this. It’s a song that talks about the nature of hip-hop’s current microwave culture. Jesse opens the song off saying, “You can’t hold your tongue? Well I’ll hold it for you, bite me with your swollen gums. Lookin like Mick Foley open with some broken teeth. But what’chu gonna use to bite my shit with? Hopefully you notice the potency... But most emcees they imitate it’s a gross disease.” The flow pattern is spacey, enhanced with the frequent vocal doubles at the end of each rhyme. Meanwhile, this might be one of the most unique hooks ever. The fact that rapping about brushing one’s teeth can be made catchy is incredible.

Jesse’s vibrant personality comes out more on the !llmind-produced “1der 2der.” The song is about the indy grind and the work ethic that results from having to do a regular job along with maintaining a music career. However, because of the slow, deliberate flow (with the timed emphasis within the delivery) and the female voice with the hook, the song feels like the anthem for a common-man “super hero” persona. And of course, !llmind adds to that feeling as well.

Jesse Abraham can bring his unorthodox style to more somber and serious subject matters as well, as “Hurdles,” indicates. It’s a song about loss and suffering, with Abraham referencing the death of his father and how he had trouble coping with death as a youngster. Referring to his uncle, who died fairly shortly after his dad did, “The good die young, but the old die harder.” As Jesse puts it, after experiencing all the emotion-numbing trauma at such a young age, he had to learn to overcome it and embrace the feeling of loss rather than shun it. The fact that he can encapsulate all of that emotion into a four minute song is truly the most poignant part of the record.



The unique, quirky sound can be attributed to several beatsmiths, the most prominent of course being !llmind. He delivers five tracks on “I Am Water,” each with its unique sounds and distinctive knock. One listen to “I Ain’t Shit - I’m The Shit” reveals exactly what I mean. Meanwhile, Paul White, who’d made a name for himself through the tracks he has recently done for Danny Brown, shines brightly on the three cuts that he contributes, especially “You’re Not a Ghost Anymore.”

Jesse’s unique style and delivery allows him to command a listening audience throughout the album by himself, but he brings along three features to accentuate the album. Chino XL makes a surprising appearance on “I’ve Tried,” delivering his hard punchlines over a slow, seemingly soft beat while staying in pocket throughout. Meanwhile, Nitty Scott, MC breezes through “Never Felt High Til Now,” quite the appropriate title for such a collaboration. The third feature is Emilio Rojas, who drops a verse on the standout track “Parallels.”

This is definitely a well thought out album, recorded to push the boundaries of artistry within the hip-hop genre. That said, “I Am Water” will find some detractors due to Jesse Abraham himself. It’s not that he can’t flow or string together intricate rhymes, but some will definitely find his voice annoying. It’s a bit nasally, slightly high-pitched, and sometimes feels like it belongs to the frat-rap community. Because rap is music, the voice is an instrument, and so it should be factored into the listening experience. But Jesse’s voice does not belie his creativity and his rapping prowess. With the proceeds for “I Am Water” going to the organization Charity Water, which funds water projects in developing countries, it might even be considered worth a purchase for a good cause.

See Also:  Overlooked: P. SO’ The Earth Tone King’s “Gateway to Greatness” (Album Review)