Latrell James literally thrives in transparency. The grip and immediacy of his debut album, Twelve, possesses a certain level of introspection rarely seen by up and coming emcees. James’ ability to effortlessly weld the notions of reflection, loss, and persistent optimism is emphasized by intricately sculpted details against hard-hitting beats. He has no problem acknowledging this as his strong suit. “My lyrics are harsh and honest—I made a project that has complexities.” He references his song “Beautiful Day” as strong evidence of this. “‘Beautiful Day’ basically just talks about the craziness in Massachusetts—everything from the growth of colleges to the marathon bombing. There’s a lot of stuff happening in Beantown. But in some way, Twelve still feels slightly incomplete.”
https://youtu.be/d3OlRu2L84w
James insists that this is the result of an abundance of content, not a lack of hard work. “It was hard trying to put twelve years of my life into twelve songs, but I knew I had to put a cap on it. I also knew how it would start and finish. The first song on it is ‘Beautiful Day,’ which is about me waking up and the last song ‘Candles’ is me celebrating my birthday. It’s a cycle following me from the ages of 12-24.” For Twelve, James zeroed in on his own experiences and upbringing–which left little room for guests.
The cover art for Twelve
“There aren’t any Boston artists on the project. I get so caught up in my own work that I don’t reach out to other people enough. My brother helped produce it and my sister sang on a few songs. I pretty much kept it all in the family.” However, the young rapper vows to always give other artists their due. “I don’t listen to music when I’m creating my music, but I listen to everything and always support dope artists. Young Thug, Kendrick Lamar, Rae Sremmurd. It’s when you’re inspired by everything that you create the best music.”
Latrell James’ Album Release Party for Twelve
Tues. 5.19
Wonderbar
186 Harvard Ave/Allston, MA
8PM/$10/21 and Over