JIN HACKMAN

Come the 21st century, Hip-Hop’s ubiquity is undeniable; from its destitute beginnings in Brooklyn to the cultural shift in the late 80s that brought it prominence; to the thousands of acne-ridden white boys and other prepubescents of different skin tones all over the world living their Hip-Hop fantasy on some internet forum…. wait, what? Yes, you heard that right, the internet has become a breeding ground for new Hip-Hop heads.
Jin Hackman is one such by-product of this new era. Make no mistake though, none of the embarrassing features usually related to a netcee (read: internet rapper) apply to him. He WRITES and he RAPS, the two traits that are mutually exclusive over the cyber world, and he does both better than most Hip-Hop heads who are actually in the public’s consciousness.
Being one of the few local emcees that fits the battle rapper mould, Jin Hackman’s witty punchlines would rival even Eminem pre-Shady Aftermath fuck-up. Not one to dumb down his lyrics for a broader audience, his scathing raps ridicule anything from bastardised Hip-Hop on MTV, reality shows to the perennial favourite of every emcee; whack rappers. All of these contributed to his rise from internet anonymity to actual recognition by the scene, which led to his recruitment by The Rebel Scum into a rap collective known as Rogue Squadron.
‘Jinius At Work’ marks Jin Hackman’s first solo attempt as a member of Rogue Squadron. With production by Funktionz (Emceedavid) and RS very own beatmakers; Phrozt (Familyboy), HQA (The Rebel Scum) and Skware-1, the LP is no amateur’s work done by cheap music software, as of the tradition of most self-funded Hip-Hop releases. At the same time, neither is it a blatant attempt at appealing to the lowest common denominator, the MTV audience. ‘Jinius At Work’ is a labour of love by a 20-year-old rap debutant; just as Illmatic was. Will this define Jin Hackman’s career as Nas’ first album defined his? The parallel is there, listen to the music and you decide.