Jaclyn Rachelle is an R&B singer from Chicago, whose recent mixtape "Wait On It" found its way into my hands. Jaclyn, along with rapper awr., are apart of TR2 (Terrible Twos), a rap collective also based in Chicago. "Wait On It" marks the first release from Jaclyn, and has been well received by the locals and beyond.
I like what I heard, but I was ultimately left wanting more from the young singer.
She warms up her voice on "intro" before diving into the awr. assisted "eL". The duo layer their vocals over one another, making it hard at times to decipher what is really going on. I enjoy the added difficulty, but it got old when I began trying to hear the lyrics. I did listen to track about 10 times though, so it grew on me a lot. It is a fresh take on how to start an R&B mixtape.
SM@SH does a great job producing, and paying homage to Timbaland on "Makavelli" and Mary J. Blige on "Seul". SM@SH's beats work to show off, rather than overpower, Jaclyn's voice. With time, I can only see greater work coming from the duo. Overall, I would have liked to see more diversity, but that is a personal preference. This is a great start, and I hope SM@SH continues to develop his sound over time.
"Dollhouse" and "threeone" feel the most complete on Jaclyn's mixtape, presenting a clear message with great delivery. XVRHLDY's verse on "threeone" is a standout, complimenting Jaclyn's voice and Sm@sh's production. Both songs are more coherent lyrically, and the mosty enjoyable from the album.
Jaclyn Rachelle is on her way to becoming a star. The TR2 collective out of Chicago will be one to watch in the upcoming years as she and partner awr. continue to produce more short films on their YouTube page, and more R&B mingled with Hip Hop. I look forward to seeing what they think of next.
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Written By: Kemp