Jackman is a Flint Native who faced many challenges in the production of his mixtape “Lysergic Thoughts”, the follow-up to his debut mixtape “The Basement”. Jackman was stabbed at a New Year’s Eve party which caused many delays, but the ambitious rapper forged on to complete the project which was eventually dropped in August 2018, and still continues to maintain a buzz in 2019. Jackman also has co-signs from Marks Battles and has had successful features from Flint native, Ran, and Flint Legend, Lakeside Bobby. “Lysergic Thoughts” promotes a sound that often toes the line between unflinching honesty and being fearlessly confrontational.
Jackman raps about the things he knows you want to hear. The hunger that ignites his ambition helps to propel him forward while blazing a trail entirely his own. Jackman has found a way to perfectly balance his personality traits across this recording.
The mixtape initiates in foreboding fashion, successfully capturing an urgent sensibility. The distinct vocal flow by Jackman accentuates the assertive, dark vibes of the opener, “Bitch Made” (feat. Ran) His initial verse sets up Ran with hard-nosed, unapologetic rhymes, for an electric start.
“Keep Moving” (Featuring Mark Battles) possesses a haunting, emotional sound that stands out from the first listen. The flows are compelling, while the production work is also selling point. “Lysergic Message (feat. Ran)” launches itself intriguingly, finding Jackman trading some sharp tongue-twisting wordplay.
Ran’s baritone rounds out the sound, while the production is once again slick. Within these first 3 songs Jackman transmits confidence as well as thoughtful moments. The bangers bang, the flow is tight, and the production is top-notch. And there is still a whole lot more to embrace.
“Me, Myself, & I” feels like a modern take on hip-hop that fits into a sleek city-vibe that Jackman effortlessly pulls off with his smooth flow. It’s an elevated beat that pulls away from typical hip-hop with a sweeping harmonic instrumental – its urban rap, its chill, it’s made for today. This is close to being one of the best songs on here, for me.
“Lovehate Interlude” has depth and focus, in a self-reflective journey looking to kick some skeletons out of the cupboard. Jackman appears determined to own and reflect on the life he’s creating for himself.
“Nobody Cares” (ft. KiiiD Angel) rides on an insistent piano driven motif. Aggressive, emotional, and drawing from the past, while living in the moment, Jackman lays down a raw and visceral narrative. This isn’t the rage-your-balls-off aggressive, this is the intense, constant-pressure aggressive.
The flow is clean and the lyrical content seems authentic on “Lysergic Thoughts Pt.2” – there’s no pretending here, these lyrics seem to have come directly from Jackman’s gut. The references to LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide), runs thick here.
The beat provides a nice balance here, driving the song forward and following in a style that compliments the flow juxtaposed by a squeaky synth moving in tangents. Apart from his efficient technical prowess, Jackman’s strength lies in his story-telling, which he executes beautifully on “Goodbye”, leaving the listener with some questions to answer, and the freedom to interpret their own mindset concerning the theme of the mixtape title.
It’s clear that Jackman is enjoying his creative vibes, which bodes well for the masses. He did a great job picking out instrumentals and features for the album too. Ultimately, “Lysergic Thoughts” is nearly flawless, and that’s real hard to accomplish these days.
OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUD – TWITTER
