AP_Matariki_NZM25_Big_Ldrbd_900x180_May25 (1)

CURRENT ISSUE

DONATE ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE

Reviewed by Ben White

Leejun: No Quarter

Reviewed by Ben White

Leejun: No Quarter

Following up on his 2022 20-song statement release, ‘Leejunardo de Vinci’, Ōtautahi rapper Leejun is back with a new album titled ‘No Quarter’, an album about resilience, power, and refusing to back down.

In the album’s second track Make It Click Leejun raps, “Start this shit with bars that hit harder than a spartan kick,” – a line that encompasses not just this song but the whole 11-track release. A combination of deep beats and high-quality lyricism, ‘No Quarter’ sounds like a throwback to arguably rap’s greatest ever era – the ’90s. And it’s easy to picture a song like Tarzan echoing off the concrete jungles of NYC – when the production has that dark and deep-type beat often associated with New York artists Public Enemy and Wu-Tang Clan.

But make no mistake, this is a New Zealand (Christchurch) album. Leejun’s flow on Make It Click brings up memories of a young Scribe rapping on his iconic album ‘The Crusader’, and includes lines from the classic Kiwi road campaign about seatbelt safety. 

Sometimes, it feels like there’s a battle between the LeeJun and the beat of the song as to who the bigger star is. The dark, ominous beats can sometimes overshadow any and everything else, and this is especially evident in Talking Strange (shared with Bhozy) where, after 3.17 minutes, you remember the beat.

But that doesn’t mean Leejun doesn’t stand out on other tracks. Make It Click almost feels like he’s showing off how good a rapper he is. Up until 1.24 it’s a very clean and well-put-together display of his songwriting and rapping ability. From that mark onwards, there is a dizzying display of rapping as he varies his flow from slow to fast and back again – all while maintaining the ability to paint a picture for the listener.

If it is emotion you’re looking for, then he’s got you with Enough Love that closes out the album. Deceptively opening like an R&B number it details him not getting the love he feels he deserves from the people he grew up with and he offers poignant advice to them saying, “I heard your new shit and let’s not pretend. Whoever told you that was fire they is not your friend.”

Fortunately for Leejun, he has no such worries.