A Twist of JP Lime: The Sun Rises in the East

May 24th, 1994 marks the release date of Jeru The Damaja’s debut and most popular album, The Sun Rises in the East. At a time in Rap History where West Coast artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube were dominating the mainstream, Jeru’s release, along with Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and Nas’ Illmatic helped fuel the revival of East Coast Hip Hop. The album which was entirely produced by both DJ Premier and Jeru himself, featured the smash hit “Come Clean”, and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop charts.

Powered by Jeru’s raspy vocals and disjointed, yet poetic flow, The Sun Rises in the East takes us back to a time in Hip Hop where concept albums reigned supreme. Soon thereafter, with the rise of radio friendly, pop Hip Hop, mainstream Rap music’s content shifted towards tracks about money, yachts, clubbing, and bling. That said, all it takes is a quick search through your old school Hip Hop tapes and CDs (remember those?), or a little internet research to reminisce, kick back, and enjoy what raw Hip Hop used to sound like. With that said, we at JP Lime Productions salute Jeru The Damaja for his classic contribution to one of Hip Hop’s most influential, and musically rich, periods. COME CLEAN!

‘I’m a true master, you can check my credentials / ‘cuz I choose to use my infinite potential.’

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