Gross - Jonwayne

Enough novelty was tied in to the rap career of Jonwayne that his projects would earn buzz, albeit only within the ever-blurring borders of “underground” hip hop. There were his aptly titled, only-available-on-tape-deck Stones Throw mixtapes. There was the Philip Morris lawsuit that followed the Cassette. Then of course there is his name, shared with, but not lifted from America’s favorite cowboy (unlike The Duke, Jonwayne’s moniker is his given name).  But once novelty wore thin, the substance had to pack a punch worthy of the legendary Stones Throw stamp of approval.

The native of La Habra, California began his ascent as a beatsmith before laying his signature voice over his own productions. His first release on Stones Throw didn’t even feature a tracklist, just two sides of a tape cassette, four raps on one, their corresponding instrumentals on the other. Before being told to cease and desist by the world’s largest seller of cigarettes due to their similarities in packaging, the tape was highly sought after, due both to its limited release and Jonwayne’s breakout performance.

The opening track of Cassette, “Gross”, samples Johnnie Taylor’s soulful “I Worry About You” while Jon rhymes about the differentiators between himself and the remainder of the rap game; the worry is addressed to his competition. He flows with simultaneous lethargy and quickness, reminiscent of another portly MC once signed to Stones Throw. References to the Flintstones and shout-outs to his label pop up out of nothing, requiring a momentary rewind in order to fully grasp the line. With his skill set, it does indeed define baffling that his fame has not grown. Cassette should have taken on the hallowed status of his labelmates. Jonwayne’s lack of stardom feels unfair. That is, until you remember that it is very much by design. <PM>