ThereGoJo: “Our Song” (Prod.Realaz beatz) – ferociously smooth!

Jovan Nelson bka ThereGoJo is from northwest Indiana. He is a student of hip-hop, the kind who peppers his lyrics with nods to the greats. He is aware of the structure and pace of good rap songs and anxious to apply them to his own music. For “Our Song” (Prod.Realaz beatz), he shows that he is great at synthesizing every-man relationship woes into terse pop nuggets. Most artists struggle with creating a reasonable message embedded within the backdrop of a radio-friendly-slash-club-viable beat, but ThereGoJo does so with finesse.

ThereGoJo doesn’t just come with his guns loaded, they are firing full blast, and it’s evident on this track. His flow is ferociously smooth; the beat is gorgeously grandiose and fiercely groovy. Grandeur is not a problem for ThereGoJo, as the production by Realaz Beatz is fantastic. But if the flow, lyrics and tone is what the listener wants to go along with the ear candy that the production brings. It’s beautiful to know, really, that it’s been achieved here.

ThereGoJo envisions himself in a broader context, as he reaches for statements of love, sex, and materialism — everything that’s simply passing. His heart is definitely there on the track, as he sounds bare, wounded and angry, reluctant to fall for the same sentimental trickery twice. At its best “Our Song” (Prod.Realaz beatz) showcases ThereGoJo’s overall musicality, pairing his ability as a lyricist with a more broadly developed production palette.

This track is without any weak links; from the producing to the lyrical flow and meaningful content, ThereGoJo is running on all cylinders. He returns to the essence of the artistry; where unlike many of his peers and colleagues, he doesn’t sound to be in pursuit of making it big but cementing his place as a hip hop craftsman.

This track epitomizes the anger and struggle that both people in a sentimental relationship experiences in the face of temptation or failure of any sort. It features visceral lyrics outlining anecdotes of trying times. The hard-hitting wordplay is balanced out by a subtle — but ever-present — melodic female vocal, repeating the words: “I’m still in love with you.”

So often we see rappers hoisted to a level where they are immune to imperfections and blemishes, but ThereGoJo discusses them wholeheartedly, admitting to mistakes, and questioning the motives. In this, he embodies the struggle of the common man — something we can all identify with.