J.Mapes is an RnB singer/rapper from South Texas. He is currently promoting his single “Good Intentions”. Honestly, as a musician, I really like J.Mapes. He has a great voice and he transforms his experiences into quite compelling soundtracks. He doesn’t try to mask or refine things, delivering emotional and poetic tales in the vernacular. He explores matters of the heart with rational, raw honesty.
The proof can be found in the singles: “Outta My Life”, “Separation”, “The Difference” and “Don’t You”. J.Mapes’ tracks provide sleek production work, idiomatic of contemporary R&B and modern hip-hop. The beats bang, as he continues to show off his amazing pipes.
“Good Intentions” sticks closely to the aforementioned templates, except the track is groovier rhythmic swing. J.Mapes delivers a beautiful melody, singing confidently, but he also leaves space for his sing-song raps.
The maliciously soulful production and cool slow-burn vibes are definitely worth mentioning, as they bubble under the lines: “I told you back when I was trapping in the summer that I might not be the one for you. That was two years ago, and now we got a home and I would do anything for you…”
J.Mapes style, lyrical content and overall attitude as expressed on this track, reflect a rapper sharing his body with an R&B singer. The South Texas-bred crooner blends his genres’ ties to sentimentality and romance, while also opting for the path of an emcee tangled in a web of ephemeral highs and introspective lows. J.Mapes’ rich timbre and genre bending implies an influence of esteemed hip-hop and R&B singers.
The singer moves from confessions to promises, bringing much of his versatility to the track, as he succinctly clarifies the difference between love and loss asking the question: “Are you coming back babe?”
Teetering on the edge of commitment, J.Mapes takes listeners deep into his world of transience. His voice and lyrical content connect in a way that is uninhibited. It’s not contrived for marketing or sales. When you listen you’re intensely drawn in by its melodic soul.
Even when J.Mapes is talking directly to his partner, listeners will likely feel a part of the conversation as opposed to an outsider eavesdropping on the experience. The relatable situations described in “Good Intentions”, are ones many of us have gone through. His unambiguous approach to music expression and storytelling is sure to take his career far.
If J.Mapes proves nothing else with “Good Intentions”, it’s that he offers far more dimensions than the usual trap-soul sound. He’s a bonafide natural vocalist, proving he needs no auto-tune to show off his singing chops, while lyrically he proves that he’s unafraid to go there. Within the first 45 seconds of “Good Intentions”, J.Mapes sets the tone for the heartfelt body of work to follow.
The R&B scene has been dying for years now with only a few artists making a real impact on the industry, J.Mapes tracks are a breath of fresh air compared to the music in the same category. The greatest thing is that he’s only just begun, so there’s still plenty to come from J.Mapes.
OFFICIAL LINKS: INSTAGRAM – YOUTUBE – APPLE MUSIC – SPOTIFY – SOUNDCLOUD
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