Jimothy
-GORILLA, MANCHESTER-
Inadvertently on a mission to prove you don’t have to be a lyrical miracle to be a rap god, London’s number one alternative son Jimothy is setting the scene alight.
Recently announcing on the Romesh Ranganathan podcast ‘Hip Hop Saved My Life’ that he was ditching the Lacoste section of his quirky pseudonym, the young lad has one of the most unique sounds in the game and certainly knows how to hype up a crowd. Some may argue his lack of actual rapping talent requires extra helpings of unabashed, loud showmanship. I, however, being the radically Liberal geezer that I am, think the showmanship is an extension of his supreme talent; with simple lyrics and primary school beats providing a fresh blade through the mumble butter of the current hip hop spread.
Shit metaphors aside, I’m really looking forward to what this young talent can offer. First up though is fellow London maestro, vbackin2007. I fuck you not, that’s the fella’s name and if you think it’s not you can sod off. Providing a generous dollop of turned up energy, this lad also knows how to hype a crowd. With tunes essentially about making hella dollar and “picking sides”, his lyrical content is as equally confusing as his name. However, he brings an unrivalled passion compared to other support acts that I’ve seen for quite some time, and for his sheer enthusiasm I salute Mr. V and hope he finds great success soon.
The time has come however to talk about Jimothy, whose rhymes about getting busy and riding London’s underground are causing quite an Internet stir. Accompanying these ditties with DIY videos featuring funky dances and heavy use of wavey garms, he has been labelled by some as a novelty act. To be fair, I would agree to a certain extent that his overall aesthetic is the driving force behind his recent popularity, however exuberantly performing songs such as ‘Make Money’ and ‘Subway System’, he’s so far a really entertaining performer and no faults can be awarded.
Professing that it’s “all love” it’s clear the ladies find him appealing with the majority inside Gorilla tonight being of the female persuasion. I must admit he’s certainly got some moves and during the breaks from simple yet satisfying lyrical output, he goes absolutely insane via what on the surface appear to be cringey limb flails. Delivered with such ferocity and commitment to the beats however, it quickly turns into a cool spectacle; a refined and slicker version of dad dancing, if you will.
Constantly jumping up and down, unashamed of egotistical statements such as “looking like a million pounds” – taken from ‘Fashion’ – Jimothy is loving every second. Every track is met with the same reaction too, a large group of Manchester students losing their minds and probably their dinostompers. It’s like a greatest hits parade with bangers such as ‘Future Bae’, ‘I Can Speak Spanish’ and the one that arguably started it all, ‘Getting Busy’, the man’s on fire.
Of course with a show such as this, where the beats have already been made and are simply played over the PA – despite the best efforts to hide it via having a round shaded gal on the side “mixing” and “DJing”, sometimes offering the odd wheel up – it’s pretty much impossible to talk about musicianship. I can however discuss how one nerdy, slightly pretentious Londoner has Gorilla in an almost combustive state by simply rapping about “happy cool Jews” and eating pizza whilst listening to his cool rhymes. No it’s not a Mighty Boosh outtake, it’s reality and this is what the rainbow coloured kids wanted.
In terms of technical ability, Jimothy’s not Tech N9ne but he’s not Pitbull either. His rhyming may be simple and his flow pretty much a dead pigeon, but he gets the crowd going in an effortless way. At one point he randomly puts on some mad sunglasses and half the room ejaculates; if only it was that simple.
Once again another show in Manchester has given me immense satisfaction. It’s such a fantastic hub for all types of music. Whether you’re a fila owning, flared kecks wearing student who drinks in 42s or a neck bearded Monster energy guzzler who loves Grand Central and wallets on chains, it’s musical bloody heaven. Bye.
Jimothy: Soundcloud | Instagram
Liverpool born music writer with passion for punk and Everton FC
