Chinx - "Welcome to JFK"

[StevePulaski]

Welcome to JFK (2015)
By: Chinx

Rating: ★★★

There is a haunting morbidity that carries through Queens rapper Chinx's posthumous debut album Welcome to JFK, which comes out barely three months after his shooting death in May. From hauntingly moody songs concerning acceptance of Jesus Christ like the Lil Durk-featured "Pray" or the opus length "Die Young" featuring his mentor French Montana, MeetSims, and Zack, impending doom and fate carry powerful thematic weight on this debut. I have no idea if this was a compilation of unreleased tracks or Chinx actually intended these songs to be on his first release with a pricetag, but either way, it provides an ominous potency to Chinx's rise and sudden, literal demise in the world.

Regardless, Chinx (formerly known as "Chinx Drugz") got something that most young, late rappers don't get and that's a debut album, let alone one that is accomplished and worth a listen. Most artists, like Blood Money, Dolla, and Speaker Knockerz, all tremendous artists on the verge of a huge break before falling victim to circumstance, get compilation mixtapes featuring remixes of their material or unreleased music, but few get a premium release. Chinx's debut album hits hard, reminding us of his varied talent, his ability to make silky smooth R&B tracks, trap music, and experimental cloud rap, and his love for intelligent subtext to his music. One sees a dark force inside of him that, if given time to emerge, would've seen a rapper with raw talent alongside somebody like Drake had their time on Earth been extended.

"Experimental," the album's opener, evokes cloud rap tendencies in a way that boons the genre without being too alienating. In short, those who don't normally find themselves enjoying the genre, such as myself, won't find themselves too burdened. If anything, I was surprised to see Chinx had interest in such a genre. Followup bangers like "Go Get It" evoke Chinx's colder, individualistic side; his staunch willingness to do things by himself and not be burdened by the likes of a copilot. Such tendencies are only further shown on "How to Get Rich" an anthem for self-reliance of sorts.

Arguably some of the more fun tracks on an aesthetic level are "On Your Body" and, particularly, "Don't Mind Me," both of which have very distinctive, melody-conscious flows that show Chinx was more than the dime-a-dozen trap rapper. Tracks like these bring him closer to the level of Lil Durk, his Coke Boys affiliate, in terms of being able to keep a flow and a harmony going.

Most of all, however, darkness and mortality find ways to sink through Chinx's music, making him a deceptively thoughtful rapper in a sea of those who stop at loopy beats and repetitive nonsense. Chinx proves with Welcome to JFK that he had a serious gift and a lot on his mind, but unfortunately, like so many others, he was taken before his craft could be universally recognized.

Recommended tracks (in order): "Don't Mind Me," "Come Get It," "On Your Body," "Pray," "Yay," and "How to Get Rich."