Save for a freestyle over Playboi Carti’s “2024” instrumental released on Bandcamp back in January, Kydd Jones has had an uncharacteristically quiet year in terms of musical output.
His first project since 2022, Saints in St. Johns feels similar to watching a practice clip of an NBA star draining trick shots. The Onyx D’Or founder’s most recent singles showcased a melodic side veering toward R&B, but this 13-track effort zones in on hip-hop.
Only one track on this tape surpasses three minutes in length (“Top 5”), which perhaps proves an intent to drop a loose collection of ideas rather than a concrete album. (He hints at such on the “Everyday Hustle,” sampling “Jean Paul Gaultier.”) Jones is at his most captivating when he weaves through different cadences while switching between rapping and singing, an ability he deftly showcases in a new avenue on “Rich Porter.” Back-to-back throwaway lines referencing the Olsen Twins and Macaulay Caulkin sound fresh over staticky synths and brooding piano before the Eastside luminary utters a croon hearkening back to 2010s Atlanta trap. It’s a refreshing switch from the warmer production he typically conquers. Most of the project’s other tracks contain enjoyable flexes (“Congress”) or smooth attempts at different beats (the drill-tinged first half of “Wemby / Spiros”).
The mixtape’s two most fleshed-out cuts, “Yuk” and “Top 5,” also feature appearances from fellow local rap all-stars. Jones flips some of the misplaced frustration he expressed last year regarding local media coverage into a catchy, defiant hook on the Mike Melinoe-assisted “Yuk”: “Fuck the algorithm, my rhythm is major/ Don’t even write about me, too big for the paper.” Blakchyl recycles most of her great verse for “Top 5” from “CarterChyl” off last year’s Better Than I Imagined, but the presence of the talented lyricist alongside Deezie Brown and Jones still leads to a quality final product.
Though there’s no one standout track on Saints in St. Johns, Kydd Jones’ versatility shines through yet again on what seems like a light warm-up before his next proper release.
Listen to Saints in St. Johns here.
This article appears in July 12 • 2024.
