Born and Raised in Brooklyn, NY, J.Vargas The Investment is a cross-genre music producer, songwriter, recording artist and entrepreneur. The Investment has been building up his catalog with single and album releases for some time now, and has gained traction with the song, “Im So NY (I’m So New York)” ft. L-BLESS – a recording artist based out of NYC. If you’re an artist living in the city that never sleeps, chances are you’ve written about its endless dynamics in some manner. Musicians have attempted to elucidate what makes the city’s allure so transcendental – its expansiveness, its majesty, its relentless spirit – but only a select few among them have written songs about New York that have attained a truly impactful status.
J.Vargas The Investment and L-BLESS come out of the blocks with unprecedented urgency with a harrowing narrative over an insistent forward motion groove, driven by rolling percussion, stabbing strings and handfuls of piano chords.
The relentless rap flows paint a streetwise portrait of local pride, chronicling the peculiar lifestyles of its hustlers and heroes. The verses come at you like a hard and fast, punch-by-punch slugfest – the perfect equivalent to any anyone’s relationship with the city.
New York – and the Bronx specifically – is the birthplace of hip-hop. Which means NYC and hip-hop are forever intertwined. So it should come as no surprise that all five of its boroughs have produced many of the genre’s greatest talents.
It also means that many of today’s artists who attempt to carry the weight of the NYC hip-hop flag are crushed by the weight of its heritage. So it was no easy task for J.Vargas The Investment to step up to the plate with his New York anthem.
Metaphor, internal rhymes, and the occasional use of enjambment, make for a set of verses that burst at the seams with energy. It’s rapping prowess, together with production that’s dedicated to the art of moving pulse rates.
It’s clear from the outset that the collaboration just works, as verses of fire match-up to the beat. Both of these driving elements give the record its cathartic, explosive energy.
The beat’s primary strength is in the tightly coiled groove and heavy percussive tone, a sound that has a timeless quality, and one that is a reflection of New York hip-hop, which is typically claustrophobic and dense.
“Im So NY (I’m So New York)” also features an impressive incorporation of a simple string motif into a rap song. The song is absorbing, not because it’s the definitive anthem of this sort – sure, there will be many more – but because it’s such an excellent flex and demonstration of just how engrossing a well done anthem like this can be.
“Im So NY (I’m So New York)” juggles various sets of imagery of New York on the move, in a tale and tone that is hard to resist. It’s able to showcase the rappers lyrical ability without any superfluousness getting in the way. Vaguely menacing, literally sharp, and delivered with streetwise style, this is a powerhouse cut.
You can follow these creatives on their Instagram accounts – J.Vargas The Investment and L-BLESS.
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