As the south continues it's mainstream dominance, there have been plenty of new MC's emerging from the south that don't have your typical southern sound. As far as lyrics, production and just overall originality. Two names I can think of immediately are Childish Gambino (Atlanta) and Jay Electronica (New Orleans). Both are very lyrical and based on their music style no one would guess they are southerners. Now add to that list Jarren Benton, who's from Atlanta. As a member of the up and coming rap group/label Funk Volume (also consisting of Hopsin, Dizzy Wright, SwizZz and DJ Hoppa), he's no different from the other members. Armed with sharp, fast paced, comedic and yet graphic lyrics, it's crazy that many people don't even know of him. My first time hearing him was on Dizzy Wright's 2012 album Smoke Out Conversations where he had a guest verse. I had to hear more of him. Later that year he dropped his sophomore mixtape Freebasing With Kevin Bacon which I didn't get to hear all the way through. Just a few tracks. Well I finally got to hear a full length project from him and it's this. His debut album My Grandma's Basement. Based off what I have previously heard from him and the kind of music the Funk Volume members tend to make, my expectations were moderate to say the least. After listening, this album was much doper than I anticipated. Lyrically Jarren is so diverse on this album. He's able to flow on a variety of beats and yet still have the same flow and lyricism. As I listened to this, his flow, and lyrics reminded me so much of vintage Eminem. I'm talking 1999 Slim Shady LP Eminem. Those comedic and graphically humorous lyrics about things like killing people in the most torturous ways, raping women in the most graphic ways imaginable, spazzing out on drugs and just all other kinds of fucked up shit. He even does the record scratching sound effect with his mouth that Eminem used to do. The overall production was solid. There were even some trap beats on here that he did justice to and made them listenable. So here's what I enjoyed from the album track wise. The second track "Razor Blades & Steak Knives" is my favorite on here. His lyrics were dope on the whole album but this was easily the best track lyrically. The beat stands out from the others as well. This song showed off those humorously insane lyrics the best (lines like "the burn on my dick when I piss feels like a snake bite", "eat a dick like a faggot on bath salts", "I'll murder your rap career then super glue my pubes to my face to make a beard", "eat shit and slit your wrist and jump off a roof and land in a pool of syphilis"). Not to mention he has a strange high pitched voice, almost like a nerd voice, that fits well with the things he raps about. But yes this song was the best to me. When I saw the track title "Smells Like" I thought this would be about some very x-rated material but it wasn't. The song features RA The Rugged Man and Mic Buddah and it maybe the most over the top graphic song on the whole album. I mean it defines horror-core hip hop. It has this funky and raw underground beat which gives it the perfect disturbing feel to match the lyrics. Despite all of that, I like the song. "Bully" was another excellent beat produced by Kato (who did majority of this album). It has this nasty and grimey New York sounding beat and features a dope guest verse from Vinnie Paz. "Life In The Jungle" is one of the few song on here that had a trap sounding beat. But this one was the best lyrically. Dope song. However, "PBR & Reefer" had the best trap sounding beat on the whole album. Better bass. The single "Go Off" features fellow Funk Volume members Hopsin and SwizZz. This song had a lot of fast paced adrenaline from all three and really was a pretty cool song. I would have loved to hear it on a much more slower beat but it was still cool. "We On (My Own Dick)" was a cool song. It sounds like it might do good as a radio/club song. I think Dizzy Wright's verse is what made the song though. He made it sound like one of his. I love the drum and symbols on "The Way It Does". This actually sounds like a beat more up Eminem's alley. Again, lyrics were good and the song was too. Now for the things I didn't like so much. The track "My Adidas" was supposed to be a play on the classic Run DMC hit. The song was okay overall but I wish he would have tackled the concept more than what he did. A sample or two would have helped. If "Heart Attack" is what he calls a song for the ladies then...wow. The overall feel of it was not good for me. He's rapping about getting over a bad break up it seems and it sounds way too aggressive for what the song is talking about. I understand that's who he is but he could have toned it down a bit for this one song. Of all the songs with trap beats, "OJ" was the worst one. I think it's the hook that I just did not like. I tried to force myself to like but...no. Wasn't feeling it. "I Don't Deserve It" wasn't bad but compared to the rest of this album the song was too "happy". Well the beat was anyway. I don't know if he was trying for a mainstream sound here but if so then it was a fail. But this one may potentially grow on me. Well in conclusion, I enjoyed this album a lot. The combination of lyrics and production on this were for the most part very well done. I give it a final grade of a B+. Jarren Benton is dope enough to not only gain props from underground fans but he has potential to even reach mainstream. He and the rest of Funk Volume are poised to do big things in the future. I just hope more people take notice. I'll for sure keep my on them. End.
Final Grade: B+
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