It takes a lot in the world of hip-hop to be a bizarre character, but Jay Electronica has certainly succeeded in becoming one. And remarkably, without doing a great deal. The New Orleans rapper has only had two proper singles, “Exhibit A” and “Exhibit C.” Brilliant they were, but that was 2009 (wow). Then, in 2010, came the phenomenal “Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)” – a 15 minute, drumless rap epic over a looped sample of the soundtrack of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Then, towards the end of last year, it was announced that Jay had become part of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, and a new song was released – “Shiny Suit Theory,” a fantastic, soulful cut featuring The-Dream, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Jigga himself. Finally, it looked as if an album was on the horizon from a young guy who, despite his reclusive nature, was still being regarded as possibly the most exciting thing in hip-hop.

But then… silence again. Jay is a fan of Twitter, but usually just weighs in with a nice bit of social commentary on the Libyan conflict and such like. All we’ve really had this year is that his forthcoming album will be called Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn). But that’s it. Well it was. Until now.

Finally, another full track has arrived! Curiously titled “Call of Duty (Modern Warfare 3)”, it’s cracking to hear something new and exciting from Jay, accompanied by the legendary Mobb Deep. It’s incredibly fresh, opening up with a mention of the death of Steve Jobs. The first verse finds Jay reflecting over his fame explosion a year or two ago - “I worked from MySpace to the top of the food chain, the sperm hit the egg like a missile, and 9 months later the celebratory news came – ‘Exhibit C’ gave the whole world a mood change.” The whole thing seems like a seething, powerful statement of intent, with Jay laying out his plans to take on the world. Musically, it fits in perfectly with the thumping military beat, ominous snare drums and almost tribal hook. Jay has always had a degree of “underground” about him, but with a track like this, duets with Mobb Deep and signing with Jay-Z, it doesn’t look as if he plans to stay there for too long. I don’t know what Jay’s been up to for the past year or so, but it clearly hasn’t been sitting on his laurels.

I wonder if, in years to come, if Jay makes it big, that entitling the track in such a way might seem dated or gimmicky, but that’s secondary to what goes on in it really. I’ve loved the clandestinely momentous nature of his releases over the past couple of years, and it reminds me of a quote from the great TS Eliot, a man who is regarded as maybe the 20th century’s greatest poet, but didn’t actually write that much: “My reputation in London is built upon one small volume of verse, and is kept up by printing two or three more poems in a year. The only thing that matters is that these should be perfect in their kind, so that each should be an event.” Words that ring very true for Jay Electronica over the past 2 years. However, an entire album is something that could be truly brilliant, and could be just what the hip-hop world needs. What with everything being dominated by Odd Future and their antics, another fresh, left-field act in the mix can only make things better.

Connect with Jay Electronica // web

Jay Electronica & Mobb Deep – Call Of Duty (Modern Warfare 3)