VINYL OF THE MONTH: Baby Jaymes “21 Questions”

VINYL OF THE MONTH
Baby Jaymes
21 Questions b/w The Visit
Oakland, CA
(Ret-Tone Recordings/Ghetto Retro Music)

“Soulful re-working of 50 Cent track highlights new 7-inch”

The new 45 from the soulful, sexy Baby Jaymes radiates a funked-out Oakland vibe the second the needle touches down on wax. BJ’s retro-infused take on the 50 Cent track “21 Questions” plays out like a beach-n-brews arrangement you might expect if G. Love took a stab at the song. The bass thumps, the vocals are sure to make panties drop, but the harder-edged essence of the original is still floating just underneath the surface. It’s an interesting (and somewhat unexpected) cover of a now-classic hip-hop staple.

B-Side “The Visit” is a more traditional R&B number, complete with horns and silky guitar flutters and chord passages. Jaymes is seemingly channeling an ’80s-era Michael Jackson on the vocals, but it (thankfully) never reaches the level of full-on cheese; it works well for the track and rounds out the record nicely. [Editor’s Note: the Bandcamp version of the single contains bonus tracks not found on the vinyl release.]

Recorded by Rob “GKoop” Mandell
Size: 7-inch
Speed: 45rpm
Color: Coke Bottle Green/Clear Vinyl
Units Pressed: 500
Follow on Twitter @BabyJaymes

photo by Bryan Malik