It’s hard to actually note here how much music Jadasea has put out. With a sprawling discography that stretches back to being a founding member of the highly-influential Sub Luna City collective, some would mark Jada’s first foray into releasing solo music as the 2015 Soundcloud singles, ‘SHARKNADO’ and ‘HELLA LEAN’, both produced by Edgar the Beatmarker (Archy Marshall of King Krule fame). But is it the more polished, Oliver Palfreyman-produced Broken English single from 2018? Is it the Edgar-produced EP half-life from the following year? 

Either way, Jadasea’s approach to putting out music quietly, on varying platforms and on his terms, has cultivated his career into one untouched by both mainstream voyeurs and rabid gatekeepers. It seems less of a statement and more of an effort to treat his music as what it is, self-expression.

LOOKALIVE! sees the South-East London-based rapper tackle familiar topics - introspective assessments on mental health, his surroundings and an ever-preserved sense of determination. The project offer glimmers of hope - ‘HELLADOUBT’ sounds like a golden sunset from the top of a hill, ‘REASONS’ recounts the importance of staying wise and carving a space out for yourself.

More moody tracks, ‘EGGHEAD’ and ‘TWILITE’, see Jadasea and guests puff their chest out and stick their head up, rather than feel depressive and low-effort. Each guest on the album - Jesse James Solomon, Elijah Maja, Redlee, and Nigz TG - all match the tone of the project and deliver verses that complement Jada’s. 

Unlike Jadasea’s ‘time will tell’, ‘Folder 1’ and ‘Folder 2’, LOOKALIVE! feels like a complete album. The project is on the independent label 10k, with notable signees such as MIKE and KeiyaA, and it feels like the overall production value has stepped up a level. The vocals are distorted and muffled, the beats decay and rumble, but drums hit harder and samples ring more true.

Overall, LOOKALIVE! is what a Jadasea album should sound like - relentless verses full of poignant assessments of himself, and the city and the people around him. A great cast of guests are in tow, adding some well-needed variation and deepening the album’s appeal. Ultimately, the sonics on a Jadasea project haven’t been this strong since ‘half-life’, and it’s all the better for it.