Jun!or: “Lost Vegas” goes in deep on many levels and maintains great quality throughout

Jun!or of Loud Militia, originally from Oahu, HI, is young Hip-hop artist raised in the streets of “Sin City” who mixes his versatile lyrics with quicker tempo beats that transcend the familiar hip hop audience and captures fans from hustlers to smokers, to the blue collar listener and everything in between. “I want to encourage every listener (not only of my work but all music) to not take things so literal,” says Jun!or. “We all tend to forget sometimes that this is entertainment.”

Riding high on the release of “Lost Vegas” a 15-track mixtape featuring collaborations with J. Ames and fellow Loud Militia member B.A.$.H., Jun!or displays a masterful use of language and storytelling, proving that the art of hip-hop isn’t completely dead. He is a very intelligent artist who doesn’t just aimlessly throw around words that rhyme or flood his songs with meaningless metaphors.  Conceptually very clear, his messages, topic management and content are tremendously alluring.

Jun!or stands head and shoulders above the rest of the current roster of rappers out right now.  He emerges in a genre full of fake flash, miseducation and dishonesty, by having a mixtape of substance. Very introspective, “Lost Vegas” touches on a variety of personal subjects that is totally relatable. Never aggressive and arrogant to the extreme, Jun!or is not afraid to be vulnerable and honest, or question peoples choices, investigate their daily struggles and discuss sensitive or controversial topics – and he can do that all in one single song, like in “Lost (Prod. Dee Aye)”.

I am firm believer that a consistent album or mixtape requires very few features and “Lost Vegas”  follows that pattern to a tee, with only  “Bail Money” featuring B.A.$.H and “In The Oven” featuring J. Ames, being present on the mixtape. On the other hand I am also a staunch believer that a variety of producers gives an album or mixtape, more artistic diversity, challenging the artist to expand his technical and emotional rapping horizons. Again, Jun!or fits the bill perfectly on this mixtape, with a host of beat makers who feed his rhyming flow with an ample string of back to back, banging beats.

The choices here are obviously subjective and personal but my favorite combinations include: “Drown In Smoke (Prod. Nick Rio)”, “It’s All Love (Prod. Jordeaux)”, “Death Before Dishonor (Prod. Vokab Beats)”, “In The Oven [feat. J. Ames] (Prod. The Chemist)” and “Letter To The Maker (Prod. The Alchemist)”.

Again though, from start to finish, this mixtape paves the way for modern hip-hop that differentiates itself from other artists out there right now, mainly because Jun!or’s lyrical ability places him among the elite in the music industry. Just about any artist can employ the best and most creative producers, but if they don’t have the lyrical vision and technical skill to deliver rhymes that captivate and convince audiences, the results can often only lead to zero.

Jun!or brings lyricism, flow and charisma and then blends it with originality and substance, which should quench just about anyone’s thirst for quality hip-hop. He starts out strong with “Self Introduction (Prod. Wonder Breed)” and finishes even stronger with a determined lyrical flurry on “Finale (Prod. Hydromorphine)”.

In between, Jun!or goes in deep on many levels and maintains great quality throughout. Hopefully hip hop will learn to fully appreciate him and sidestep all those mediocre superstars that impede the real growth of hip hop!

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