Review Summary: An exciting debut from one of London's rising stars in the hip hop arena, Common Sense is a varied listen that blends together many styles of music.
J Hus is a rapper from London who released his debut album, Common Sense, in 2017 after building up quite a bit of hype over the previous couple years with singles and loose tracks. Common Sense attained that rare feat of both pleasing Hus’ fans and receiving critical acclaim, and was proclaimed as one of the best albums of the year by several esteemed music outlets. All that praise was for good reason—Common Sense is one of the most impressive hip hop debut albums to have been released in some time, displaying a fully-fledged artist who can carry a weighty 17 track album mostly on his own.
J Hus will never be mistaken for Nas or Rakim, but he has a way of twisting words together to make them sound good, and that’s something many popular rappers today can’t claim. He uses multiple flows throughout the project, switching to suit beats and the mood of the songs. Versatile is probably the worst that best describes Hus’ rapping, as he sounds comfortable over all manner of production, and speaking about any number of subjects. He has songs for the ladies ("Closed Doors"), arrogant boasts ("Clartin", "Goodies"), more mellow reflections ("Leave Me Alone"), feel good jams ("Good Time", "Bouff Daddy"), and even some nice storytelling about his come up ("Spirit").
For American hip hop fans, Hus’ London accent may prove to be a bit of a hurdle at first, but his infectious hooks and smooth delivery will push past any detriments quickly. There is also quite a bit of English, African, and even Jamaican slang thrown in, which can be confusing to those unfamiliar with the terms. After a few listens, however, they will start to become just a part of the album experience.
Common Sense is an album that contains vast switches in styles and production, yet remains cohesive throughout. This is because one producer, Jae5, had a hand in every song, and was the solo producer on 12 of the 17 tracks. The album contains elements of dancehall, grime, trap, and even afrobeat, yet flows smoothly from one song to another. The variation in music creates an experience that never grows tiring, even though the project is nearly an hour long. Highlights include big hit single "Do You See", which could be at home on an Atlanta trap album, the up-tempo and danceable "Bouff Daddy", and the triumphant "Spirit".
The features, all from the UK music scene, are excellent, and complement J Hus perfectly. Childhood friend MoStack provides verses on two different songs, proving himself an interesting artist in his own right. Dancehall artist Burna Boy (whose 2018 album, Outside, is quite good) provides the chorus to "Good Time", and singer Tiggs Da Author sings mournfully on "Good Luck Chale". It is undoubtedly J Hus’ project, though, and he carries the album from start to finish.
Common Sense is not perfect. It’s probably a little bit too long: while there aren’t any bad songs on the project, a few of them aren’t truly necessary to the listen. It’s still a fantastic album, an intensely personal story by an exciting, funny, and personable rapper whose next album will assuredly be a far bigger affair, and who is only 22 years old. It is an album that can be played in sunshine or rain, while cruising in a car or listening on headphones in your room. The only question is: what will J Hus do next?
