Home Milwaukee's Finest Jay Regal – Fresh Produce (Beat Tape Review)

Jay Regal – Fresh Produce (Beat Tape Review)

by Miracle

Fresh Produce

Jay Regal was one of the first Milwaukee emcees to appear on The Illixer back in December. He had just released his second mixtape The Dark5ide and was working hard on preserving his place in Hip-Hop history. He is still on his quest for greatness and released a brand new project last month to prove it. However, this one is a little different. It is a beat tape, so there are no lyrics just music. The project is titled Fresh Produce and includes a total of 15 tracks.

The tape begins with the project’s title track. The track opens with a clip from everybody’s favorite hood movie Friday via everybody’s favorite character Smokey (Chris Tucker). The production is very low key. It contains a soft bass, some light sound effects, and a chill vibe. It definitely seems like it would fit perfectly into one of the smoking montages in the film. Overall, it’s a dope beat and a smooth way to kick off the tape. Following the opening, the tape continues on with more relaxed style tracks that include clips from other great movies and television. For example, there is a track titled “Twilight Zone.”  It opens with a clip from the old school show. Then the production kicks in. What is so hot about this beat is the way that the infamous music from the show was sampled. The eerie tune is coupled with a deep bass and a few other sounds. It all comes together to create a uniquely haunting feel. In the end, it is for sure one of the more standout tracks off the tape and a favorite. Another notable beat is “For Kid N Play.” This selection opens up with a clip from Super Fly. Not exactly what’s expected considering the title but it works. The production here contains various background vocals, an uptempo pace, and a feel good vibe. It might not have contained a House Party clip but Kid N Play could certainly break out some fly moves to this one. Overall, this beat is a winner and another favorite. The end of the tape keeps with the mellow theme but has some entertaining highlights as well. There is a clip from the legendary film Boyz N Da Hood. A sample from 80’s British R&B band Loose Ends and their song “You Can’t Stop The Rain.” And a poem from femcee/actress Amanda Diva. So there is quite a bit of premium material to take in as the tape winds down. Smart placement as it takes the tape out on a strong note. All In all, this is a choice beat tape. The selections are all top notch and the project was cleverly put together. The use of the tv/movie clips was a slick idea. Fresh Produce would be a great tape to just throw on and zone out to. Click that link and hear it for yourselves though.

**My Two Cents: I thought this was a solid beat tape. I like the easy going feel of the project. Also, the different clips/samples made it interesting. So Jay Regal is not only a beast on the mic, he can get down on the production tip too. Gotta love an emcee with multiple talents. After you peep the tape, hit Regal up on Twitter and let him know your thoughts. -MinM

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