Jay Whiss: Dark Cloud

By Kerry Doole

Jay Whiss -  Dark Cloud (UMC): This is the title track from an EP the noted Toronto-based rapper releases today (June 7). 

It reflects the impact upon Whiss of a tragedy last Canada Day when he lost two friends to gun violence in downtown Toronto (Kosi Prime, assistant manager of one of Whiss's projects, the rap trio Prime Boys, and close friend and collaborator Smoke Dawg).

In a press release, Whiss notes that "music has always gotten me through things. It’s like therapy. What happened is a dark cloud that can never be lifted; there’s just too much pain. But you can get through it.”

The cut features powerful lyrics delivered with clarity atop a sparse groove, accompanied by a beautifully shot black and white video directed by Elliot Clancy Osberg. It could, however, be argued that lines such as "I don't even know what niggas are against me, before I die I'm taking niggas with me" don't exactly defuse a tense situation.

Guests on the EP include Pro Logic (Meek Mill, Post Malone, Lil Wayne), 1mind (French Montana) Amir Jamm (Smoke Dawg, Prime Boys) SAFE, and Jimmy Prime.

Jay Whiss first made a splash when he was featured on the 2016 debut mixtape by friend and collaborator, multi-platinum producer Murda Beatz, while such solo singles as Watch This and Welcome To The Life featured on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio in recent years.

The acclaimed release of Koba World, the 2018 album from the Prime Boys collective, further boosted Whiss' profile.

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