Rising Seattle-based rapper Kjahn delivers his new project Stay Till Morning’ with much gusto. The 11-track body of work is 35 minutes long and features production from Streets who worked on the entire album. The project opens up with “Great Adventures” a solemn and moody track that is ripe with vivid lyrics about moving correctly in this murky concrete jungle. This is followed by the sombre “Nicotine (Interlude)” a short but poignant look into the cycle of life and the constant rat race that never stops. Kjahn sounds at peace with his lot with lines like “While a lot of niggaz staying busy trying to fit in hoping for a co-sign or another nigga mention/ To be honest,I’m just happy with the way a nigga’s living nothing is given, real life”.

“Dollar Bill” has a jazzy vibe with its warm keys and reflective horn riffs and smooth drum grooves. As the title suggests, it dives into the daily hustle and the need to have a go-getter mindset in order to stay afloat in this game called Life. The following track “Fuck Summer Time” features Key Nyata and is made up of a moody guitar riff, dreamy textures and hushed drums. It’s as reflective as they come as Kjahn reminisces on the hottest season of the year and the many events that shaped his thoughts for better or worse. Key Nyata comes through in the second verse and gives his own perspective and he mixes the emotions with a blend of bravado and nonchalance demeanour. On “Pieces”, Kjanh teams up with EME Byrrd and the two deliver fiery raps over a guitar-driven trap groove. The theme revolves around peace of mind, loyalty and how broken friendship can lead to unfounded circumstances. “Government Cheese” is another hustle-themed track that digs deeper into the concept with its insightful and graphic lyrics that take listeners deep into the mix of the action. Bolstered by a vocal sample-driven backdrop, Kjahn and 4BDN both trade bars in tandem and lines like “Frigid is the mind and the bones are weak, holler at sheep/Lead masks cos they fall in the streets, no better sheets/Not a bite or a swallow to eat/shoes on they feet/in a land where the taxes is high, crooked police”.

The project closes out with “Puff Jackets” and “Sleep Sound” respectively, the former has a solemn and contemplative vibe while the latter’s production strays from the majority of the project. Over the bouncy drums, atmospheric synths and trippy sounds, Kjanh ramps up his bravado side to a crescendo and kicks game in the ear of a certain lady he is rocking with but he is also aware of his surroundings as he sends warning verbal shots to his detractors with lines like “Is it me or the fake niggaz crowing up the scene?/ A bunch of fake bitches who never had a dream/They just want a baby daddy with a little cream on an NBA team or maybe a triple beam”.

At 11 tracks, the project is decent in length and is chock full of versatile tracks including the heartfelt “Beam me” which dives into love, family and life or the bass-heavy ball-inspired “Tayshaun”. Overall  Stay Till Morning gets the job done and gives listeners enough stories that they can relate to and well-crafted songwriting that will keep hardcore rap fans happy. Production wise Streets does a wonderful job as well and manages to keep things dynamic with his varied sampling choices and versatile production style.

Stream Stay Till Morning on all DSPs here.

Keep up with Kjahn  | SoundCloud : Twitter:  Instagram