The first time I dived into IJALE's latest album OTTN (On To the Next), halfway through I was convinced that he's my favorite rapper at the moment. It's not only his choice of instrumentals that entice me, it's predominantly his choice of subject matters that continuously have me engrossed.

"MI GORENG" is the opening track and those who REALLY listen to lyrics are well rewarded with vivid pictures painted about IJALE's back and forth between success and misfortune. "Getting dizzy from the highs and the lows" is one of the lines which encapsulate what was going on in his life when this was written, and I love the fact that he's SO honest and doesn't hold back on details which makes his experience all the more relatable.

I can't neglect to mention that towards the end of OTTN (On To the Next), the mood transitions into a vibe that reflects IJALE's African roots and that's something I appreciated especially since that isn't entirely common to hear from Australia.

I've left a link to the album below:

posted by Lu
November 2021