Album Review: INTIMATE ENEMIES by Jiondé

Pass The Aux! It's one of the dopest events in Oklahoma, that brings together not only artists from across the state, but even some traveling from as far as Atlanta for the unique opportunity to play their music in front of industry tastemakers, multi-platinum producers, and, of course, their competition. What's the competition? "26 artists locked in, playing their music in a battle royale style competition hosted by The OAKA and presented by The Criterion, which brought out hip-hop and R&B artists all battling to take home the coveted "King of The Aux" title. 

Jiondé is an Oklahoma City artist with multiple projects under his belt, including Pressing Forward and Bittersweet. Through his ability to craft musical time capsules, it's clear that music is a deep-rooted passion, one that runs in the family. He happens to be the cousin of fellow Oklahoma City artist 2ndChancesimpkins, whom listeners may remember from his hit single "Raunchy." Jiondé builds on that musical legacy with a distinct catalog that blends raw introspection with heavy-hitting club bangers. But you may be asking, how exactly did he pull off the win for "King of The Aux"? To answer that, let’s dive into his latest project, INTIMATE ENEMIES, and see why he earned the crown.

The 9-track project proves that quality triumphs over quantity. Clocking in at just under 22 minutes, INTIMATE ENEMIES covers a wide spectrum of topics while showing off sharp craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail. The album cover, of a bouquet of flowers in a vase set against a muted gray background, is a striking image. Perhaps it represents an artist ready to offer his growth to the world. Or maybe an artist that's blooming in a world that was meant to mute his colors. Either way, the music blooms in the listener's ear much like those very flowers.

On the opening track, "WAKE N BAKE," Jiondé sets the tone by putting all his cards on the table, instantly flexing his versatility and songwriting chops. He seamlessly switches his flow multiple times, weaving syllable-packed bars into a serenading chorus. What makes the track so intriguing is his use of a clever metaphor: framing his lover as his essential morning smoke session. Another highlight is the chant-like four-bar refrain that locks in the groove: "She the truth, yeah, yeah, yeah."

The second track, "KEISHAS AND TAMICAS," grabs you with an intriguing title, because let's be real, we all know a few Keishas and Tamicas. Almost immediately, the hard-hitting bass catches your attention, evoking the nostalgia of a school lunch table where kids beatboxed and banged pens on desk surfaces. That percussion lays the foundation for Jiondé to drop some heavy, introspective lines: "And some people just like weather, only good for a season." His delivery carries shades of early Lupe Fiasco and at times conscious, at times deeply contemplative, but always distinctly his own. Jiondé pairs his unique perspective with the natural flair of a seasoned wordsmith. Another bar that demands a rewind is when he spits, "And I got the kind of flow that make an ex want a redo." I found myself pulling the track back multiple times to catch every word, and is a hallmark of great songwriting, best captured when he reflects, "Because love don't happen easily, it comes with a cost, You gambled your mind, and your soul's what you lost, Everybody got a debt to pay."

Just when you think you know Jiondé, and just when you try to box the project in as "another conscious album", he throws a complete curveball with "ASSXIETY." The track is a total 180 from "KEISHAS AND TAMICAS," shifting instantly from righteousness to ratchetness while showcasing the messy duality of the human experience. Jiondé kicks off the song by pointing out the root cause of his condition: Instagram. We all know the unprovoked ass that pops up on the feed, and Jiondé may have finally coined the definitive term for the phenomenon. The chorus carries a playful, animated energy that sets a fun, unserious tone for the track. Even the track's title, which is a witty play on the word "anxiety," lives up to its name as Jiondé drops vividly descriptive bars charting the symptoms of his self-diagnosis. Lines like "I see her ass, even in my dreams, I love a baddie from OKC,", "Her cake got me lost like a coked-up fiend," and "Her ass in charge, authority, It claps and sings like 'Do-Re-Mi'" lets you know that Jiondé is fully aware of his affliction and more than willing to face it head-on.

You know the sample the second you hear it. Listen closely to "PERFECT HARMONY," and you'll find yourself humming Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name", which sets the perfect stage as Jiondé spits his best game to woo a woman he just met: "I got visions of our vibe in perfect harmony." The track features a powerful chorus where every syllable hits right in sync with the hard-striking 808s, leading into a catchy bridge that ties the whole song together. It even invites the listener into a moment of call-and-response: "Nigga don't you know, that you too broke to be chasing ass?" While the track hits, I would've loved to see Jiondé dive deeper into the pursuit by grounding his lines in richer metaphors and vivid imagery rather than leaning into a delivery that occasionally feels a bit too straightforward and nonchalant for someone trying to win over a dream girl. Still, those direct lines yield some wins, like when he drops: "Let your man know it's the small things, the small things. Not the gift, but what the card say." That’s exactly what someone being pursued wants to hear. But ultimately, since it is a shorter track, I just left wanting a few more of those stand-out, memorable lines.

When it comes to "CROSSFADED," this is another track that didn't quite land for me, though listeners should still give it a spin to judge for themselves. I could see the vision, but I caught myself wanting deeper lyricism and richer imagery. By the end of the first verse, the competing sounds felt a bit overstimulating. While the track has the foundation to be a smooth vibe, a few lines felt a forced, like when he raps, "Girl, you keep it classy, so yeah, I call you Sexy Blue." It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s an area for growth when crafting tracks with this kind of sonic direction. It's also a cut where bringing in a female vocalist could have added a welcome layer of dynamic range. But give it a listen and let me know your thoughts.

There’s an immediate moment of redemption, and it arrives with "PRETTY EYES." The track had me feeling like Will Smith in Bad Boys: "Now that's how you're supposed to rap! From now on, you rap like that!" In just the first 40 seconds, Jiondé revives my enthusiasm for the project with a deliberate flow that commands your attention. His rhythmic bars hit like bold, internal declarations and percussive sound, imitate the hard-hitting snare, as he effortlessly navigates each bar. One line stuck out, is the tongue-twister, inception-like bar: "Hurt people hurt people, hurt people is me." You have to sit with that line for a second before it fully hits, it's a meticulously crafted bar that could easily get overlooked because of the smooth, hypnotic delivery. This also brings back the vivid imagery in lines like, "Girl, just get away, because the pain was so great, I got more than a scrape, I got cuts to the ground, now I'm laying with the snakes." This is the level of writing I knew Jiondé was capable of and missed on the prior two tracks. Because as we know in this game, there are no days off, and for an artist, there's certainly no tracks off.

I swear I can hear someone in the background yell "OK Drums!" as the drums come in on "IMMA DIE A MAN", which kicks off with a smooth Neo-Soul vibe. It's calm and intimate, yet Jiondé brings a commanding presence that makes his declarations about love feel set in stone. The chorus echoes these sentiments, exploring a side of romance rarely addressed in rap: love through forgiveness, love through restraint (like ignoring the urge to text a bad bitch), and love expressed every time he puts pen to paper. Words hold the power to spark wars and break hearts, and Jiondé proves the inverse is just as true, that words can be an act of love. The verses are equally packed with substance, featuring standout lines that anchor his thesis, such as "Real niggas are in high demand" and "I wanna spend quality time with every flaw and every blemish." A deeper listen to the second verse reveals even more vivid storytelling, with gems like, "Damn, I know your pain, my brother, Still no need for rage this summer." And just before that sits a clever line I caught on my second play-through: "I'm Shai Gil, I'm smooth with the mic", is subtle, flex bar to OKC Thunder superstar. As you can tell from the sheer volume of quotes I jotted down, that I really like this track. It's sonically rich with high replay value, capped off by a vulnerable moment at the end where his voice softens right alongside the fading beat.

When we get to "CALL LOG," the title alone hints that you're in for some history, and you'd be right. Jiondé takes us on a nostalgic journey, recounting memories of meeting a lady at a local staple, Braum's, before bringing us back to the present day to only a trail of past calls which is all that's left of someone who doesn't ring anymore. This is one of those moments where I would've loved to see Jiondé delegate rather than carry the full weight, by bringing in a featured vocalist who could have driven the emotional core home with a bit vocal range to communicate this heavy passion. In the second verse, I wanted more emphasis on bars and perhaps a few delivery changes. At times, he gets slightly boxed in by his own rhyme scheme and could've let the story guide the rhythm of the track more. "need me, squeaky, creeping, cheating, repeat, be me", this is where loosening the pattern or switching to a more traditional scheme might have let the storytelling dictate the rhythm. Still, the ending helps land the concept beautifully with a voicemail from a the woman in his call log, "This is my form of closure." Overall, it's a solid, high-concept track—with just a few tweaks needed to make it really hit with the way it intended to. I’d love to hear your take on this one. Drop a comment and let me know.

The project's closing track, "LIL LOVEBIRDS," could easily be retitled "I Love the '90s." The record transports you straight back to the golden era, where the heavy boom-bap bounce had everyone’s head bobbing, from the production style, down to Jiondé’s pocket and cadence.  Jiondé’s drops what can best be described as feel-good raps: "This feels like mama's banana pudding with the Cool Whip." The track has some great lines, one that really proves that Jiondé is a true student of the game, is when he raps, "I be thinking about life after I'm dead sometimes." It's a slick nod to Biggie’s classic album Life After Death, which was a 90s classic album. If sounds had colors, this track would paint in the vibrant red, green, black, and yellow palettes that defined '90s hip-hop fashion and culture. The chorus sets the vibe with an easily repeatable "Straight up!" another troupe used to convey the sounds of the 90s era. LIL LOVEBIRDS is packed with vivid imagery, best highlighted when he spits: "When I get my moment, you can't pay me to choke, I'm the sickest, bitch, my pen is painted GOAT." I think this track stands as one of the absolute strongest tracks on the tape and has the potential to be a Jiondé's breakout radio hit. Drop your thoughts below!

So there you have it, INTIMATE ENEMIES, a sonically rich project powered by clear standouts like "KEISHAS AND TAMICAS," "ASSXIETY," "IMMA DIE A MAN," and "LIL LOVEBIRDS." While tracks like "CROSSFADED" and "PERFECT HARMONY" leave room for growth, they simply show the potential of an artist who still has so much more to give. Overall, the project comes together as a cohesive, compelling piece of art. One day, we might have to ask Jiondé about his intentional use of all-caps throughout the tracklist and album title. In typography, all-caps is often interpreted as shouting. While in certain linguistic contexts, it's cap or lying. Here, neither feels true, it reads like an emphasis. Whatever the reason, one thing is certain. We hear Jiondé loud and clear. This is why he's "King Of The Aux".​

I think that the album is dope and I would encourage you listen to INTIMATE ENEMIES. for yourself. Plus it's streaming everywhere!

Make sure you follow Jiondé on social media:

Instagram: @jiondae_
YouTube: Jiondé
Spotify: Jiondé
​Apple Music: Jiondé