North Carolina, more and more is becoming a hotbed for hip-hop and one of the artists spearheading that movement is Pat Junior. I’ve had the pleasure of following his journey in music for a couple years now. Exploding onto the scene with “Learning to Live (In A Day)” Junior hasn’t let up releasing multiple projects over the course of the last couple years. Today I have a review for the second installment in Pat’s “black & mild series” this one entitled “black wayne”.
I’m going to tackle this review a bit differently than usual and actually start by talking about a couple of the singles released before “black wayne” dropped. “S.o.t.b” came out first and it was a hint at Pat Junior taking his music in another direction. The release of the single came after we heard “Better Days” & after a string of shows Junior performed in, Junior has leveled up and so has the music. Then “the ride” dropped and it truly hones in how far Pat Junior has come. “Black Wayne” finds Pat Junior truly in the pocket and it seems like he’s making the music he truly wants to make now.
Lyrically, Pat Junior is still bringing us through his life, the ups and the downs. This time around though, Pat sounds more confident, he sounds like he knows, he’s meant to be here and in this space. That confidence shines through this entire project, bringing it back to the beginning “to the dawn” has our hero speaking on the pain & hurt this journey brings. The vocals by Jake Anthony bring the track full circle.
“Black Wayne” almost seems like a litmus test for what’s to come and if that’s the case, I’m excited to see what his next full-length could sound like. “Black Wayne” fits in nearly every situation, bumps in the whip bumps at the party and speaks to you on a lonely night. Give it a spin and let me know what you think.