Jeremih doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He made it out due to one simple thing; talent. In the mid to late 2000s, it was absolutely normal for an artist to drop one hot song, maybe two, and then disappear from the game. With the unexplainable trend of hip-hop and R&B at the time, who would’ve thought his career would remain consistent beyond “Imma Star” and “Birthday Sex” for damn near 10 more years. Every tape and every album has been musically gratifying, and after his last few drops in Late Nights: The Album & Late Nights: Europe, we cannot act like he isn’t one of the best to do it. He’s made a habit of remaining relevant and though he does not overflow us with music, he sure does keep it rolling. After dropping a remastered version of his collaborative mixtape with Chance the Rapper, Merry Christmas Lil’ Mama, his next drop came just last week. On March 9th, 2018, Jeremih dropped a 4 track EP entitled The Chocolate Box. He set the standards high for himself, so the question is, did he live up to them in this release? Track by track, here were the results:
“Cards Right”: The first thing you will hear in this song is a sample of Bobby Brown’s “Rock Wit’cha” which loops in drastically. Jeremih’s best songs come when he, similar to Tory Lanez, is in his bag… He can execute on a more hip-hop, rapping level as well, but the best of the best come when he’s singing about woman, sex, and emotions, which seemed to be the theme of the entire EP. “Cards Right” is an ode to doing right by someone, plain and simple. This song exemplifies that no matter how immature someone may be, or despite their bad habits if they find the right person, who is doing them right in return, the potential is endless. “Cards Right” is the smoothest song on the EP. This track would hit the most in a setting where you are beginning your night/day with a person you gave more chances than you imagined you would.
“SMTS”: You can hear the spice protruded in the first 20 seconds. If you didn’t peep, SMTS stands for “suck me to sleep”; yeah, he said fuck all censorships on this one. “SMTS” is about the physical experience of receiving oral sex, however, there is a huge influence on who that person is. As you grow older, you come to realize that in some situations, oral sex is just another expression of how much someone actually cares for you, rather than just the pleasure. So in this song right here, Jeremih is reflectively saying “thank you”. “SMTS” is certainly not the strongest on the EP, but it truly does contribute to the overall vibe of the project.
“Forever I’m Ready”: SAMPLE ALERT! Jeremih was almost on his Tory with this project. In the second obvious sample of The Chocolate Box, Jeremih went hard on the classic “Keep Your Head Up” by Tupac. At first, like many listeners, hearing the sample automatically provided a sense of skepticism because “Keep Your Head Up” is one of those songs you cannot mess up if you decide to touch. But I must say, he slightly did it justice. This song, as viewed in the title, is about being ready to love someone. The concept itself seems simple but being able to love someone fully is a level of completion that takes time and maturity. Once you get to that point where you truly are ready, you are finally able to give someone the best version of yourself. “Forever I’m Ready” certainly does have a heavier vibe, but it does justice to the heart. Definitely, play this one.
“Nympho”: This feels like Jeremih back in 2009… “Nympho” feels like that one radio song that shouldn’t have been on the radio due to the explicitness. It also sounds like it’s better than the radio songs, but not good enough to shock you and hold the song’s introduction until the project released. “Nympho” is clean in the sense that it can be played in any situation, with any person, despite the heavy sexual references. I’m not going to lie though, I do wish that the EP ended on a stronger note. It is just an EP though, right…?
Stream The Chocolate Box right now and let us know what you think! Be aware of Jeremih’s next drop because it’s clear that this was just a sample as to what he has coming next. Hopefully, we can finally get that MihTy which was rumored to drop last month, because it damn sure would go crazy… Whatever you do, don’t fail to acknowledge the consistency and power in Jeremih’s music over the past 9 years. He’s been fired up ever since, and that’s proven even further in The Chocolate Box.
By K. High
