(Photo By Jovan)
“Emotive” (listen/download)
Ladies and gents, meet Jovan. If the name looks familiar, it’s because she’s been mentioned on the site before for her work on music videos for fabulous Milwaukee musician B~Free. She’s not just nice with the lens and editing though. She also happens to be an emcee. Born in Cali but residing in Chicago, Jovan is described as “1/3 filmmaker, 1/3 photographer, and 1/3 emcee.” Presently she is studying film at Columbia College Chicago. There she has worked hard to build a buzz as a force to be reckoned with via her projects on and off campus. Her end game is to take all three of her passions and combine them into one major medium where she can act as a colorful and innovative voice for others. In addition to developing a couple of successful YouTube channels, Jovan has a reasonable musical arsenal under her belt as well. This includes her Realize EP, off of which she recently dropped a brand new video titled “Emotive.”
“Emotive” is set to a dramatic style beat laced with a firm foundation, fierce musical elements, and a measured tempo. The production was handled by [csd] and is of a top shelf quality as a whole. The hook is adequate. The delivery is atypical and the lyrics are real. The verses are moving. They are labeled as an open letter of sorts to Jovan’s parents about the impact that they have had on her life. Jovan gives the listener an one of a kind deep voiced flow full of intensity as she spits serious personal rhymes about the people who brought her into this world. Overall, the is a worthwhile offering.
The video was shot by Octavio Veliz and edited by Jovan herself. It is coined as the eccentric emcee channeling her inner rebel. The camera more or less just shows Jovan in an array of barren outdoor locales around the windy city as she pours her heart out. A few areas are adorned with beautiful works of graffiti art that really bring an extra sense of life to the scenes. Another intriguing shot displays Jovan sitting and writing in a notebook as if actually penning the letter. That was a nice subtle representation of the song’s concept. A third scene that grabs the viewer’s attention includes Jovan destroying a bottle. It’s a harsh image but at the same time serves as a creative metaphor of the frustrations and hurt felt by Miss Landry. The flick culminates with Jovan previewing a song off of her newly released Fall mixtape, Only The Beginning. The single is called “Message To America” and is track number five on the tape. En masse, this made for an enchanting set of visuals.
**My Two Cents: I always get a kick out of experiencing people’s talents beyond their primary skill. Thus it was a real treat to find out that Jovan made music too. Her camera work is phenomenal, so I had high hopes for her music. She did not disappoint. Her style is a little different than I anticipated but that’s a good thing. And one can tell that she really puts some thought into her bars. “Emotive” was a commendable record/video. I respect Jovan for being so vulnerable with her fans and the video was proper. For more with the multi-talented Chi-town resident, readers can find her via: her website (see above), Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. -MinM
