Who’s ready for some boom-bap? I am finally catching up on all the submissions that have come to me this summer. I don’t want anyone to miss this warm weather vibe. This week we break down the June 2023 single “jpeg” from High Nelson.
For those who haven’t heard High Nelson’s music, listeners will notice that his catalog has some throwback vibes, with old-school hip hop, 90s influences, and touches on Caribbean sound. The Bronx native has found a way to combine his love for various genres into a sound wholly his own. Connecting through social media through a mutual love for music brought High Nelson to the forefront and his latest single, “jpeg,” to my inbox.
High Nelson on Inspiration for “jpeg”
When asked about the inspiration for “jpeg,” High Nelson shared his thought process. “Jpeg is a flow in my stream of consciousness when I think about how I was raised, and how important family and Sunday dinner were. It’s about the things that were instilled in me, the things I had to learn on my own. Leaving college to pursue [education] has been a rollercoaster that my grandparents wouldn’t have approved of growing up in a God-fearing house, so it’s almost full circle when sit and think about where I am in life vs. how I was raised.”
High Nelson Shares Album Art Symbolism
The artist also shares the importance of the photographs in the album art. “The song art consists of family photos. On the left are my grandparents, the biggest influences on how I was raised. The bottom right is my father at my parent’s wedding and that just plays on the fact that I had to figure out a lot about being a man through the example of other men and not him. The other pictures are of aunts and uncles at family gatherings. Everyone in the photos is related to me in some way.”
Highlights and Lowlights of “jpeg”
In line with much of his existing catalog, ‘jpeg” brings the 90’s hip hop vibes mixed with smooth flow and even-keeled energy. This quick little single comes in at just under 3 minutes long but leaves a lasting impact. The song is full of witticisms and the boom-bap vibes I love to listen to in the summertime. I particularly love the moments where High Nelson raps about reminiscing about his youth. If you are listening, you can travel back in time, too.
My only criticism of the track is the spoken audio sample mid-track. The voice seems so distinctly different from the singer that it’s disrupting. It seems oddly placed and doesn’t match the general energy of the song, although I am sure there was a creative justification for that decision. Outside of that, it’s a bop.
Who is this song for?
Listeners who like boom bap and chill hop will connect with this track. It’s calm enough to vibe to but with enough interest in the lyrics to keep your mind turned on if you choose. “Jpeg” was released about two months ago, and the track has over 40,000 streams on Spotify alone, so High Nelson is doing something right. Check out “jpeg” now wherever you stream your music!
Submit Your Music
Are you ready to submit your music for a review or the release calendar? Send song submissions for review or pre-save information for the release calendar to info@photobombshell.media.