Review Summary: Could use some work, but not as bad as you would think.
Pop-rap hasn't been getting a good 'rap' for quite some time. Guys like Marky Mark did their best to mix their raps together to mainly radio-friendly beats, in which did receive them some commercial success. However, it usually resulted in a relatively short music career, with Wahlberg being a prime example of the failures that occur in partaking the much-criticized sub-genre. This same outcome has occurred to many artists, but there is one guy who is hoping to avoid the outcome and make a name of his own. Jake Miller, a 21-year old rapper from Miami, is trying to avoid the stereotype: releasing three EPs, an album, and achieving a major record deal with Warner Bros. in 2013. He's slated to have a big year in 2015, one where he truly breaks out. His 2012 debut "Spotlight" shows signs of why Miller has lasted, but be warned: this isn't exactly 'groundbreaking' or 'transcending' the sub-genre at all.
Jake Miller's debut is one where it doesn't see him discuss, for the most part, about the same ol' subject matter in which has plagued both hip-hop and in pop for sometime on the radio side. This five-track album sees Miller touch on his hopes of making it in the industry, achieving a better life, and going against the norm of mainstream hip-hop. It is pretty evident in the strictly hip-hop oriented "Hey You!", where Jake pseudo-raps on how he is countering the rap game but also aspiring to acquire a better life for himself. Lyrics like "while I continue to counter the game/all of you rappers are one of the same" display his dislike of the radio hip-hop in which has been dominant for too long. With a dedicated fanbase known as the 'Millertary', and pop male star-esque looks which has made him a 'teenage heartthrob', he will break out in the mainstream for that alone, but with a message in which counters most of mainstream hip-hop's ideals, it'll certainly be nice to see this kind of material out in the mainstream.
Jake Miller's delivery and flow in "Spotlight" sees a sense of cool and confidence, displaying that while his raps aren't like the rest of radio hip-hop subject-wise, he can rap with the best of them. He does touch on romance in the country-influenced "Runnin'" and on the Black Eyed Peas-influenced "Day Without Your Love", where his lyrical content in both sees some struggles. In some spots the lyrics can come out as corny and a bit too sappy despite Jake's raps, and while the instrumentals are certainly bearable despite the obvious pop background, they're pretty generic at best. They just wouldn't be able to make a dent in today's charts. Another example is in the throwback track "On The Move", which sees Miller rap well but it is overlooked by the '70s disco-oriented beat, which is as average as it comes. Production has always been an issue for pop-rap artists, and it definitely is no exception here.
For the most part, Jake Miller's debut is a decent one at best. His confident and on-point raps are definitely one to take note to, and it shines the most when Miller is on tracks where it is hip-hop-influenced, with little to no pop influence. While the mix of both pop and hip-hop in the bulk of "Spotlight" does work, the production isn't nothing new. In spots in those tracks, it does see Miller struggle a bit lyrically, but fortunately it isn't all that bad. At the end of the day, the main culprit in why this 2012 debut doesn't go to the next level is because of the mostly generic production. It just feels way too much of what teen-pop stars like Austin Mahone do to really help Miller get more credit, which he does deserve. However, it isn't as bad as you would think. Fortunately this is just Jake's first attempt, and if anything can come from this, it is that Miller cleans up these mistakes.
