The best things about being an uncle is that you don’t have to perfect, You don’t have to have to be compared to this standard that parents do. In short, you can always tell it how it is. UNCLE JAY is an artist that specializes in doing just this, and this time he's bringing dj noname, in for their project called UNCLE NONAME.

UNCLE NONAME is a six-track project that dropped on 4/20, a day usually reserved for smokers, but surprisingly this wasn't the theme of this project. What was? We'll get to that later, but for now, let's talk about Track 1. Noname never disappoints on production as the first track “A STEP AHEAD” starts with the dj noname.’s signature use of a soulful sample of Black Ivory's single "It's Time To Say Goodby" sample, the producer has become a historian with his ability to pick timeless tracks, this time around it sets the stage for UNCLE JAY. "Visions through a prism, gifted with the difference to make, when distance was an issue, I had that Lemon Lemonade." UNCLE JAY has crazy wordplay and goes through a broad array of topics such as nautical skills, A.I,, education, and that's just the first 45 seconds. It's clear that UNCLE JAY can spit.

​Then we get to Track 2, You & I. Again, dj noname. found a timeless sample, and again it's from Black Ivory’s single “You And I”. The looping chorus sets the stage for Uncle Jay to rap a few bars and then let the chorus play as if it were a 60s r&b group where the lead singer moves back and forth from the mic while the background singers repeat the chorus. I would say that this is the love track of the album that is wrapped in not only emotions but also some slick bars that I found myself going back and rewinding them just because of the imagery, such as this one, “I inverted kiss from a mouth of fire, reversal foot than it turned to mine. “, even the cleverness of this bar that was in turn from this crazy set up from 2 bars previous, "should write my wrongs, on the wrong page". 

LISTEN is one of my favorite tracks. What I like about it most, is that it's like this lyrical gymnastics as UNCLE JAY’s bars show his skills like a triathlon athlete, he excels in wordplay, metaphors, rhyme scheme, UNCLE JAY attacks each bar like he’s going for gold. There also, so many quotables in just the first verse. "I got the slice like kutanas." BARS!! They like to think they Iron Man, until they lack J.A.V.I.S.”  BARS!!! He really did pop his shit on this track. While also tying in a life lesson; to be confident in your gift, because no matter how much you might run from it, it's still going to find a way to shine. Lastly, it's with the third track that you also realize that dj noname. is using another Black Ivory sample, this time it was "No If's AND's OR But's". It's a dope track to bring into the 21st century and proves that this group was slept on.​​

The fourth track on this project is called DONT RUSH LOOKN 4 YA HALO. UNCLE JAY is a little more laid back on this one and shows his personality more, he also switches his flow by using a kind of mini-subconscious voice that's used by artists such as Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole, the voice brings a depth to the chorus. I think he should have brought it back on the second and third chorus, which sound more like an echo effect and is missing the first chorus's sound. What I do like about this track is that he is talkin his shit. He's an artist that is known for doing the work that other artists say you gotta do, and this is reflected from the very first bar, "This boat still needs rowed". followed up by, “The entrance of a wrestler, self-driven like TESLA." Just put the whole first verse behind glass because ain’t nobody touching it. Even in his second verse he continues to show his clever wordplay through use of alliteration in the bars that use of the word 'seen'. Y'all really got UNCLE JAY fucked up.

SEARCH & YOU’LL FIND you gotta shout out dj noname, his beat selection once again is impeccable. It’s just something about hearing horns on a track that lets you know that it’s about to be a dope, as he found another sample from Black Ivory and their song “I’ll Find A Way". The track sets the stage for luxury bars, “Be serious and willin, it feel like walkin with God, cause the mirrors in the storefronts won’t tell you, you fraud". This is the shortest track on the album, but it's also jam packed with bars and technical skill. I also like the way he flipped the words "pair" and " sight" in these two bars. “We weren’t concerned with parasites or snakes in the creeks, but this pair of sights, had a lot more to see." Again, y'all really got UNCLE JAY fucked up.

I always judge an album by its outro, and like an uncle, you’re judged by the last advice you give. BISON IN BLIZZARD is the final track on the album, and dj noname. dials up Black Ivory’s "Baby, Won't You Change Your Mind" its that outro beat forreal. Again, UNCLE JAY knows how to deliver as he uses the beat like soapbox to give his final advice of the album. He's literally spittin life experiences in these bars and giving game like an uncle would, Lastly and probably the most important is the love, the love he shows at the end of the track, cause that's what family does.

​UNCLE NONAME is a project that although it’s short, it’s straight to the point, it doesn’t waste your time, and it doesn’t give you any filler. UNCLE JAY just tells it how it truly is, just like an uncle is supposed to. I also have to give credit to dj noname.’s use of Black Ivory tracks, again this group was really slept on. dj noname. is a musical archeologist who can dig through thousands of tracks and find the one that can create magic. As far as the content of the album, UNCLE JAY talks to the audience like an uncle would to talk to his nephews and nieces. Sometimes that means you and your uncle in the backyard smokin’ a blunt while he gives you the game, it's an open-diaglogue and a reflection from life experiences. Because that's what uncles do.

So, listen up, and go stream the album UNCLE NONAME:

Go follow both UNCLE JAY and dj noname. on Instagram:

UNCLE JAY's Instagram: unclejaymakesmusic
dj noname.'s Instagram: nosamyrag 

When you get an invitation from dj noname. you know that something dope is going to happen. This night proved that statement correct as the first installment of "The Listening Session.". Mr. Worthammmmm.... The artist known as Mr. Wortham is a lyricist and veteran of the game, his style is chill and laid back but packs a lyrical punch. He's also a supporter of the Tulsa music scene. But this event is about him and his new album called "views from the 11th". The project that captured his view from the 11th floor hospital window as he was going through one of the hardest battles of his life. This 12-track 25 mins and 11 seconds album is an insight to that battle. This is the listening party for "views from the 11th".

This night only a few select individuals were in attendance, this made this made the listening session very personal and more intimate. dj noname. and Mr. Wortham sat at the front of the stage behind a table filled with speakers and a laptop. To be amongst friends, that's what Mr. Wortham seemed to enjoy, while also letting them in on private battle he's been fighting that would eventually become an album. The album was structured in this skit then song sequence, it was like Mr. Wortham was sitting next to you explaining each track. The fist track called "peritoneal dialysis" grabbed your attention, it's this emotional journey that took us through his declining health, it was like we were right there in the hospital with him. There were so many medical terms that it felt like we were and the way he delivered them was as if we were there hearing these words for the first time with him. Also, note that this is the longest track on the album and has a very heavy tone to it. The track was produced by Dr. View.

Track 1 was very heavy and very serious but track 2 is the total opposite. "bloodwork" though still a heavy subject matter was surprisingly upbeat. Mr. Wortham experimented a little with different character voices especially at the end when it sounds like a 70s disc jockey. When listening to the track I was surprised because I thought every subject matter had already been put into a song. Wrong! I've never heard anyone create a whole song around getting blood work done. And I definitely wouldn't expect it to be upbeat. But Mr. Wortham executes the song so well. It's this upbeat dance track. I could imagine Phlebotomists would put on while working a shift. The hook is catchy as hell. Who knew you could dance while getting blood work. This one was produced by dj noname.

We get a peek into the creative process in the next skit "behind the scenes (let it go)" The skit is a voice note recording of an unreleased unrecorded song. During the listening session Mr. Wortham told the story of having the beat play through an old TV via a Chromecast and if you listen carefully, you can hear the volume being turned up. Though it's not the whole song it's a really strong chorus and up-tempo beat from Seriously K5ive. It's still in a reference track but it's interesting to hear him building on his idea for the song and the direction he plans to take it.

As he played the next track "me and my girlfriend" I couldn't help but think I know this title. The title has been flipped many times, 2Pac then Jay-Z, and now Mr. Wortham's version. During the session Mr. Wortham told of how him and his wife Jerica have been married for over 17 years now and how she was there right by his side in some of his darkest times. The track sounds like an ode to his wife. Again, he spoke of these uncommon medical terms and procedures. In the track he talked about how he had transitioned from the hospital to his home, but as the song tells, that didn't make it easier, or that the journey was over. There were hours of training and lots of patience, and some really personal and vulnerable moments. The song is the definition of "in sickness and in health". in the Q&A Mr. Wortham said that this was one of his favorite verses on the album and even rapped a bar, "the fork to my knife, the potato to her steak, be making meals together, and forever scrape the plate". The beat was again provided by dj no name. who flipped a Frankie Beverely joint for Mr. Wortham to spit on.

DJ $ir Mike provided the beat for track 9 titled "pill poppa". He explained the song by stressing that he wasn't speaking things into existence, but this was helping to paint the picture of the large list of medications that he literally carries in a Jansport backpack because it's just that many, and also the feeling of having to pop pills all the time. In the track he's naming off pill names like Jay-Z naming off women in his song "Girls, Girls, Girls". In his bars he spits, "I’m tired of you. I’m tryna go natural.“, this is just a heavy literal bar. I also noticed in his delivery and cadence in the track he makes it seem like he's on drugs with this cloudy state of mind sound as if he's in this medicated state. It was just a well-executed song.

The next track is a skit called "behind the scenes (do what it do)", hearing the sounds of the dialysis machine brought you right into the room, I imagine he did what he could in that moment to get through, and at that moment it meant he needed to sing, “It’s a long road, down this unbeaten path. And we don't even know, how it truly does end.“ These reference tracks probably not only helped make the time go bye, but it also probably helped to get some of those feelings out creating therapeutic sessions.

The last track on the album. Can you believe we made it this far? Can you believe all Mr. Wortham has been through? The last track is called "we made it" and is about triumph. Ending the album on a high note, producer Seriously K5ive provided those amazing horns and beat. The track was recorded in the den of his house with long-time friend Kiera Boykins, who himself had battled cancer and came out triumphant. This was that extra inspiration that Mr. Wortham needed. “we made it” also signifying that he had finally got a new kidney. He spoke about that Ascencion phone call that would get him closer to his triumph. The journey is the triumph. The family and friends who helped him along the way was the triumph. And triumphantly he rapped with a swagger as to say, "NIGGA WE MAD IT!".

The Listening Session. You had to be there. There were good people. There was a Q&A. There were 3 bottles of wine, keyword being "were" because by the time the listening session was over, all three bottles were empty. Mostly it was a triumph. Mr. Wortham had gotten through a journey that tested him and his relationships and came out triumphant. So, congratulations to Mr. Wortham on health and an amazon album. Let me be the first to repeat, WE MAKE IT! Make sure you checkout his new album "views from the 11th".

Checkout the listening session below:

Also follow Mr. Wortham on social media:

Instagram: misterwortham
Spotify: Mr. Wortham
YouTube: Mr. Wortham

Also stream the album "views from the 11th":

If know you know. And many people know about the producer/ artist/ manager/ photographer/ project manager/ yelper/ last but not least dj, they call dj noname. He's released so much classic music. But did you also know he writes? Here's something special from the one they call dj noname. talking about his newest single "A Love So Complicated".

The main point of my production stems from how I grew up, especially late-night freestyle takeovers. It was all about the raps, I didn't care about subject matter to an extent, what did the production make you come up with initially? That's what I wanted to be laid on my production. 

As my first year chopping samples ended up turning into (almost) 5 years, the more songs + projects I released, the more artists (even ones who didn't take music seriously) would approach me with getting on a track. I wouldn't even second guess the individuals, it was more of an experiment that I'd like to test out. "A Love So Complicated" is one of those things stemming from that notion. A person who is in this art world, who isn't even a musician, always threw the bug in my ear about sending some stuff over & he was super serious because we've had a few conversations about it.

This conversation continued for about a year; the beat is maybe that old as well. Along with that, I might've sent another beat or two. I have a good problem with always doing albums instead of singles + loosies (whether 3 or 10 songs... I treat everything like an album) & I felt like this song was so good that I couldn't even include it in a project I had in mind for it, The Album Before The Album. 

The sample stems from something I've heard before at a different tempo. This was during peak blog era & very close to a decade before I dove into DJing + producing. All of these songs I grew up on + heard sampled are now coming to life to where I'm utilizing them. Without that, there wouldn't be this.

I had to ask dj noname. why is there no artists credited on the single. "Simply because he's not a musician. We wanted to have fun with it [the record]. We made it about the music."

Shoutout to dj noname for the dope insight about his new single "A Love So Complicated".

Can you guess what sample he was inspired by?

Make sure you go purchase this new single "A Love So Complicated". here: 
​djno.name/a-love-so-complicated​

The first day of 2024! We watched the ball drop, we sipped champagne. We did all the etceteras. But what we didn't know is that there would be a tape. A tape from the legend that they call Pade and his producer dj noname.. I don't gotta say too much because the tape speaks for itself. 

So let's just listen to the tape!

You can Purchase the tape from  BandCamp here: Stoic: Day One