By: Nick Villers
Release Date: April 11, 2022
FFO: Ghostemane, BONES, Suicide Boys, Shakewell
Metalcore influenced rapper iamjakehill has quietly built a strong following over the last few years. He's big enough where he's accumulating over 3.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, yet is cooly flying under the radar in music industry circles who are dominated by his heavy music/emo rapping peers such as Ghostemane, Suicide Boys, and BONES. iamjakehill is back following up to his 2021 LP 'dying lately', trading in his experimentation in pop punk riffs & melodies in exchange for his familiar, dark metalcore trap beats with his EP 'Follow Me Into Hell'. In just under 13 minutes, iamjakehill washed away any inclination he would be the next emo rap / pop punk crossover sensation with his raw, no holds barred approach that gives you a sense of relief that you're not the person he wishes pain inflicted upon throughout the EP.
Each track is driven by dark, metal influenced chord structures, choruses, and catchy trap beats that don't slow up, giving the listener instant gratification that makes this genre so immediately appealing. "Satin Black" and "I Chose Violence" are classic iamjakehill tracks reminiscent of his 'Better off Dead' releases pre-2019, making you feel like you can take on anything and not take shit from anyone. What makes iamjakehill unique is his ability to crossover genres and experiment stylistically. This is most apparent on the pinnacle track "Into the Fray". Where 'dying lately' rubbed elbows with pop punk sensibilities, "Into the Fray" is crowd killing in the mosh pit. The first two minutes highlight Jake's ability to rap, the peak being the third verse where he kicks off with, "Now look who's laughing / Stab me in the back, what you think was gonna happen? / Better be fast when you make your casket / Permanent sleep, turn you to ashes." As the track heightens to one of Jake's best flows on the EP, it falls off the cliff into a breakdown driven by what feels like an Acacia Strain moshing moment with the words spat out, "I can't wait to fucking make you pay." The back half is a heavy, metalcore breakdown and just shows Jake's capabilities in songwriting as it just feels so natural to go from rapping to metal in a matter of seconds.
To continue to keep you guessing, iamjakehill rounds out the EP with "Follow Me Into Hell" and "Hiding in the Dark" which provide the dark melodic feels of 2020's 'Autumn Gloom'. Jake again shows his ability to write catchy, ballad-like melodies, yet pushes the pedal down like one-fifty on the dashboard where Keanu Reeves himself would give the thumbs up.
'Follow Me Into Hell' is an appetizer to iamjakehill fans waiting for his next LP after 'dying lately'. What's exciting is this EP shows iamjakehill is willing to go in any direction he wants and there's no telling where he'll go next. Whether he decides to do rap, metal, or pop punk, he's going to go 150 mph and be one of the most exciting up & coming rappers on the radar.
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