Eva Rhymes

Eva Rhymes, ‘Good Vibes’
by Bret McCabe

“I’m just speaking my mind, I’m flawed,” Eva Rhymes raps at the end of a verse in ‘Good Vibes,’ before heading into a cheeky chorus where she shrugs “I’m only human, I’m sorry/ I’m being human forgive me.” Nearly every song on “The Life and Times of Eva Rhymes,” the Baltimore emcee’s solid new album, is a window into Rhymes’ refreshingly unapologetic psyche, as much a snapshot of what it’s like to be complicated, black, and female today as “The Miseducation Lauryn Hill” was in its day. And ‘Good Vibes’ is Rhymes’ upbeat ode to self-care and self-love, powered by a playfully jazzy beat that wouldn’t feel out of place on an early ’90s joint from a Natives Tongues group. And over this summer cookout vibe Rhymes rhymes about navigating a world that isn’t always hospitable to the square pegs who don’t fit into society’s prefab round holes. Rhymes’ response to such isn’t to middle finger anything and everything, it’s to work on understanding who she is and what she needs: “It ain’t corny to be positive,” she offers, and it takes a certain amount of chutzpah not only to turn to such a wellness cliché into a song lyric but to deliver it in an intimately carefree way that wins a smile and makes you, even if only for the moment in this most constantly anxious year, believe that’s even remotely possible. - The City Paper (Baltimore)

A bit of backstory.

I've known Jinxxx for about ten years or so now. We met through some random AOL chatroom back when those were a thing. Right off the bat, it seemed, we started talking about music et al. She was one of the first Baltimore heads that featured me on a track, although my bars admittedly sucked ass. But, she's always been on some next-level/sicker than your average "femcee" ish, and the woman is quite down to earth. It's awesome, though, how I've seen her musically mature since those days of AOL chats and everything and how she's carving her own path to the top.

And now, the music.

"Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo' Dat," a young girl says on Baltimore native Jinxxx's newest track from her upcoming mixtape. The aptly-titled "WorldStar" speaks on fuckery and "niggerish moments" that are displayed and perpetuated through social media. I love the bluntness of it. I love the message on the track and Jinxxx's presentation is something like a fine wine. It only gets better with each song she puts out. The message (again, fuckery in social media and how society perpetuates it ad nauseum these days) is a preachy topic, but thankfully, Jinxxx avoids going all "EVERYONE IS WRONG BUT ME!" on the track. That's definitely appreciated and allows for the message to go down a lot smoother.

The instrumental, a bass-heavy track with a whistling melody, is catchy enough that you could find yourself whistling it yourself. However, I found myself getting a bit annoyed by it. I wasn't annoyed enough to get taken out of the song, as Jinxxx's lyrics keep you attached and in tune. But, I was annoyed/distracted enough to say "I wish that it would switch up a little bit." Maybe I'm reading a bit too much into it, but I think the beat is an extended metaphor of the annoyance that social media can present to our lives.

Be on the lookout for her new project. - Speed On THe Beat

She does it all. Jinxxx of B.alive runs her company, performs and becomes a promoter making her a triple threat in Baltimore. - P.D

8. Eva Rhymes, “The Life & Times of Eva Rhymes”: That Eva Rhymes celebrates all the world’s “weirdos”—you know, all y’all vulnerable, complicated human beings just like her—is only the third or 87th most interesting thing about this versatile MC on her assured full-length debut. Like Snow Tha Product, another underrated MC, Rhymes has more vocal personalities than some dudes have sneakers, moving from Bahamadia chill to Rah Digga fire to the ethereally headiness of S.I.N.’s Medusa and Koko. And she confidently raps about depression, insecurity, the unnecessary competitiveness between girlfriends, social media anxiety, and more, giving such ordinary travails the thoughtful, comic, and candid attention they deserve. (Bret McCabe) - Bret McCabe