Often when we think of Jaden Smith, him being the son of Will Smith isn’t the first thing to come to mind. We think of cryptic tweets, creative fashion sense, and credible acting. He has made a name for himself by being the best form of himself he can possibly be. He shrouded himself in mystery and is always leaning toward the alternative. There is no consistent sense of normality for Jaden Smith which makes he and the atypical synonymous. A living and breathing aesthetic is the best way to describe him. At this point, Jaden Smith’s notoriety is more earned than given, despite being the offspring of the legendary Will Smith. Unfortunately, there is a facet of his persona that has yet to be fully appreciated. That is his music.
Jaden Smith has been making music since 2010. It all started with the Justin Bieber collaboration “Never Say Never.” During that time he was just a child and couldn’t separate himself as a personality. He would reveal this with his solo work that would follow a couple of years later. The music that would be produced is aimless kid raps, which weren’t meant for the critical ear. If you would say the 14-year old’s raps are bad, it would basically be next to bullying. It’s not even worth going back to his first mixtape,
The Cool Cafe: Cool Tape Vol. 1, because it has no worthwhile relevancy whatsoever. The same cannot be said for the second installment, CTV2, because there are an obvious stylistic improvement and less cringe. There was an arrival of introspectivity Jaden Smith is known for today without as many layers. His potential was noticeable, and he seemed to be closer to reaching his own style.
Since his second mixtape, Jaden Smith has kept his hands on music without dropping any projects. His clothing MSFTSrep (pronounced Misfits Republic), has expanded into more of a creative group which also inhibits his sister and frequent collaborator, Willow Smith. It also involves singer Harry Hudson, Teo, and others. He recently resurrected his formerly defunct Beats 1 radio show MSFTS Frequency, where he introduces alternative sounds to the public. During the last three years, he has worked with Childish Gambino, Post Malone, and Rich The Kid.
He released some solo songs, but most of them aren’t easily accessible now through subscription-based streaming services and have to be scavenged for elsewhere. Most releases by Jaden can be found on the music page in video form on the MSFTSrep website. His loosies are some of his best songs. There are moments like “Offering” and “Labor V2 “where he shines lyrically. He is just as capable as a lot of other rappers and has only been getting better. He dropped the impressive single “Fallen,” a smooth, simplistic love song that plays to his strengths. His potential as an artist is substantial, and with his debut album, SYRE, could be fully realized.
In the year of 2017, has kept himself mostly quiet from a musical standpoint aside from a few features. He dropped the impressive single “Fallen,” a smooth, simplistic love song that plays to his strengths. Most of those features have the same feeling. When you listen to “Pothole” by Tyler the Creator and “Perry Aye” by A$AP Mob, you will notice similarities in his purpose for being there. You might have said “Oh, Jaden Smith is on here” and nothing else. His vocals on those two songs are somewhat uninspired, but yet there is an added flavor to the song because of his presence. The aesthetic he carries is mesmerizing and if he can conceptualize it for SYRE, it could lead to great dividends.
SYRE was announced early November with a tirade of Instagram videos. Jaden posted videos containing snippets separate songs on his debut. There seems to be a distinct allotment of sounds, as he travels from slow and somber to loud and rambunctious. These snippets of individual track showcase his tremendous artistic improvement. The songs range from emotional to empowering. It is to be appreciated how he desires to be relatable. Many people can’t people can’t connect with the decorative life of Jaden Smith. It clear that he wants to be perceived as a visionary, and with this new bold sound he just might pull it off. Jaden doesn’t sound as juvenile as he did in his earlier work. That is simply a result of growth, physically and metaphorically.
SYRE is described as “a beautiful confusion,” which means it will undeniably be his most conceptually inclined project. Some may think he is still pretty corny, but it a wonderful thing when Jaden Smith’s music sounds like Jaden Smith. From the snippets, you call tell it isn’t without its rough edges, i.e. “Jimi Hendrix,” but songs like “Icon” and “Don’t Want To Cry” are interesting enough. The sense of emptiness found in his earlier worth is almost nonexistent. The album will be released by Columbia Records and Roc Nation thanks to a deal that happened last summer. It is not certain what songs will be on there. One could guess that his recent releases “Batman” and “Watch Me.”
Jaden Smith’s SYRE could solidify himself as an artist and could lead him to be taken seriously by the masses. Hopefully, this album ceases the days of him being a symbol for alternativity, and help him be seen for who he is.