Rapper Justin Langford is back. After a name change, from Jaybird to Jus, the 28 year old returns with a new music video -- "Call Me Jus" -- a no-nonsense, two-and-a-half minute reintroduction. No hooks, no chorus. Just Jus, rapping for sport over a stripped-down instrumental.
Rooted in the "less is more" approach, Jus peels away the excess for a track that's held together by punishing drums and a laughing Joker sample. It echoes Nas and "One Mic," with bare-bones production that allows Jus to showcase his raw raps while maintaining his smooth industry polish.
"Say hello to the bad guy/They say I'm a bad guy/I went to bottom and now I'm back and I'm mad fly/The villain you hate to love/Them haters I get 'em," he raps. All by himself in a white room, he roasts his rivals, "We live in a time where rappers gang-bang and wear dresses" and boasts about his workout regimen, "I stay in the gym/Train like Mayweather/To protect my fam/I'll fight like Conor McGregor."
"Call Me Jus" is his latest outing. But he's no stranger to the spotlight and might be best known for his television appearance in 2012: After winning BET's Hot 16 challenge, Langford was awarded the opportunity to rap alongside hip-hop heavyweights Mystikal, Mac Miller, Hopsin, and School Boy Q during the network's Hip Hop Awards cypher segment.
J. Smith, aka 1019, is a San Diego native, rap fan and one half of the rap duo Parker & the Numberman. You can follow him on Instagram at 1019_the_numberman or on Twitter
