Local MC J-Mac’s debut album, “MacVision HD”, is an example of the fresh outlook that young rappers from the Northwest are displaying on the world’s music screen.
“The meaning of HD is being introspective, questioning everything and knowing nothing is legit,” J-Mac (real name Jordan McIntyre) said. “You’re the only person who can define you. Anyone can be high definition if they look through the bulls--- they’re presented with.”
MacVision HD features 18 full-length tracks and equates to roughly 77-78 minutes of funky rap music. The album starts off with the title track, a beat with a mellow piano melody that warmly introduces J-Mac to his audience with a tiny glimpse of the clever rhymes strewn throughout the rest of the album.
J-Mac’s lyrical content ranges from sheer wordplay to a focus on scrutinizing the media as well as the act of breathing in good times from the ends of joints and blunts.
“The music isn’t solely focused on letting people know what I think about media, though,” J-Mac said. “It’s not just about partying or smoking weed either. The album has a song everyone can relate to.”
Some tracks, such as “A Night Out,” are soulful and nostalgic, “A Night Out” begins with J-Mac chuckling then saying “Talking bout Tacoma, man.” J-Mac began his rapping endeavors with his group, the Green Gang, back in middle school on the west side of Washington. “Walkin’ on the Ceilin’” features the Freshmen 15, a group of J-Mac’s peers from back home who traveled to Pullman one weekend to enjoy the scene and ended up recording a nearly 9-minute rap track. Other tracks, such as “Destiny,” feature the vocals of Adrian Lyric of local hip-hop group Genevieve in singing and rapping form.
Other tracks, such as “Down” and “Chain Reaction,” bring back the sounds of 90s rap with a 21st century lyrical feel, J-Mac’s flow ranges from easygoing one-liners to metrically intricate, multiple-phrased messages that demand a rewind and double-take to fully appreciate. The shortest song on the album, “Timeless,” is a snippet about the meaning of time and money all over the familiar bubbling noise of a bong in the background.
“MacVision HD” took J-Mac the better part of a year to record, he said. The part of the writing process he enjoys the most is the initial formulation of the lyrics to the beat.
“I try to capitalize on what the beat’s telling me,” J-Mac said. “I try to find the harmony between the lyrics and the beat.”
J-Mac’s influences range from Andre 3000 of Outkast to Kanye West to Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of The Roots. J-Mac is currently an independent musician. The entirety of “MacVision HD” was produced and mastered by him.
“If I ever made it to stardom, I wouldn’t want to be a ‘star,’” J-Mac said. “I’m not doing it for household name, I’m doing it for music and expressing feelings.”
“MacVision HD” can be downloaded at macvision.bandcamp.com for free or at an unspecified donation as well as through the official J-Mac Facebook page.