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http://www.senbaltimore.com/music/music_reviews/jade-fox---ashes-of-another-life.shtmlJade Fox - Ashes Of Another Life
Baltimore's Jade Fox has been building a base around her debut album by pounding pavement to get the word out.
Earning her respect by pounding pavement and getting the word out, Baltimore's Jade Fox has been building a base around her 2007 release Ashes of Another Life, a fem-centric ten-track LP that doesn't shine because the mic master is a woman, but because the MC can spit. As much as I want to name-check MC Lyte and other quality emcees that Jade draws influence from, it's time to take a stand and give Jade Fox credit for her skills, not just her skills AND her being female.
Ashes of Another Life is, overall, an album with no grit and grime. It's about staying up, being positive, and being on your feet, both in terms of drive and in the club. "Don't Cry Tonight" (featuring Eva Castillo) is lyrically similar to a classic Guns 'N Roses track, but that's about all. Songs drawing lines from big-time rock records go rounds with the anthemic "Energy Rise" which carries a hype not heard since LL was told by his momma to knock you out, "Just Wanna Be" pays homage to Method Man by declining to "shop around, cuz I got the good s**t at home", and "Refuse To Fail" is undercut by a cryptkeeper synth line both ominous and sleepily setting up the album for a close.
Ashes can seem like it takes a bit too much license from Fox's forebears, but she can hold it down lyrically without other people's lines. On the almost hyphy beat of "Get Up", Jade pumps out a message to, well, get up. It's a dance song, people, get up and dance.
Ideally, Jade will take the promise of this album's appeal to enhance her message on the sophomore effort. For now, Ashes of Another Life is quite an underground appetizer. If you're ready for a taste, catch Jade at the Turntable Club on February 16.