In a drawl from the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles that is somehow both urgent and reflective, rising hip-hop star Jay Rock continues telling tragic stories of drugs and power on his mostly excellent third album, "Redemption" (Top Dawg / Interscope).
He showcases guest stars like Kendrick Lamar and Future (together on "King's Dead," from the "Black Panther" soundtrack earlier this year) and he can go full-on cocky, reintroducing himself with a cascade of b-words in the opening "The Bloodiest" and crowing to a triumphant synth on the closing "Win." But his best songs are more subtle, like when he rhymes "sandbox," "padlocks," "stashbox," "mascots" and "mad Watts" over a slow, smoky synth loop in "Troopers" or bemoans not spending enough time with a loyal female friend in "Redemption" (which also stars SZA).
Many rappers over the years have imitated the soft, reflective style of 2Pac's "Dear Mama," but Rock has a way of making these kinds of personal stories sound especially real.
