Manny King John
Tough girl softens up for new track.
Ms. Jade, most notable for Timbaland produced songs “Big Head” and “Ching Ching,” gained notoriety in the early 2000’s as Timbaland’s female rapper, but she was not to be confused with Missy Elliot. Jade’s album “Girl Interrupted” (2002) set out to distinguish her voice from the surplus of female rappers who flourished in that era. I always appreciated her Philly accent and tomboyish flair. She wasn’t a sexpot but a real girl, a homegirl that lived around your way even. Timberland shined harder on Ms. Jade’s album, though. His production is the stand out aspect of “Girl Interrupted.”
If you go back and listen to the Pharrell produced “The Come Up,” it’s almost as if the beat is louder than Ms. Jade’s vocals. However, Ms. Jade is a fighter, and she’s at her strongest when she’s talking her shit, quite literally on tracks like, “Feel the Girl” and “Jade’s A Champ”. I believed Ms. Jade had potential, however, she may have been too “’round the way” for the mainstream rap industry at the time. However, her influence on her mentor Missy Elliot is quite undeniable. Ms. Jade’s doorknocker earrings and b-girl aesthetic may not have done much for Ms. Jade, but it inspired one of Missy Elliot best-selling works and style re-vamps a la the “Under Construction” album. I’d even go so far to say that Ms. Jade could have been the Kid Cudi to Missy’s Kanye circa 808s & Heartbreak. Missy may have benefited the most from Ms. Jade’s presence in music but that’s cool, cause Ms. Jade is back boys and girls, with a whole new swag.
Her new song “Face Down” is exactly what it sounds like, a sex-driven party song. It could easily be a club banger, with it’s snare kicks and looped chants. It reminds me of a song that Ludacris would feature Shawna on circa 2003. It’s not quite twerkin’ material, as the instrumentation under the chorus makes the song seem slower and softer than your average Juicy J or Travis Porter anthem. It seems Ms. Jade won’t have to worry about the beat outshining her verses this time around. You can hear Ms. Jade speaking in the beginning: “I usually don’t fuck like this, but… fuck it.” And it’s very obvious “this” isn’t where she lives musically. Minus the whistle that makes the song memorable, Meek Mill’s “Face Down” seems to be the inspiration for Ms. Jade’s new track. Her lyrical cadence is very similar to Meek’s and if she’s aiming to draw comparison’s she will succeed with this single.
Ms. Jade’s new single aims to be a hit and might possibly succeed because it has the right formula for what’s been hot for the past two summers. But unless she plans on putting out another album that’s good but forgettable, she might want to think about developing her own sound as an artist.
Editor’s Note: I agree with Nia about her concerns and honesty is our policy but Jade has been in the industry for quite some time and if you are a keen businessperson, it is imperative to adapt to the times through reinvention. That’s what’s happening here. Jade is songwriting, first. Personally, I like the song and I am looking forward to what’s to come from Ms. Jade. As a loyal fan and a fellow businesswoman, I truly feel that the sky’s not the limit and this is only the beginning. If you’re looking for new Ms. Jade material and music from the past, it will be available via GrungeCake exclusively.
