D-Sisive is a Toronto-based emcee. After a prolonged absence from making music for much of the 2000s, he reemerged as a prolific artist (this is his fourth album since 2009) with plenty to say. Jonestown was released in 2009, but Jonestown 2 stands on it own, so no previous knowledge is required. All you need is love for solid production based on quality soul music samples and smart, sarcastic lyrics that give way to a moving emotional experience.

Listening to Jonestown 2, you first get to know D-Sivise as a cynical emcee with a penchant for pop culture references. While this could easily turn into an episode of Family Guy, where allusions substitute for substance, D-Sisive never loses focus on his bigger message with each song, and the references serve to accentuate the points he’s making. Even better, as the album progresses, he opens up and starts discussing more personal matters. This is when the album jumps from being good to one that’s going to have a lasting impact on listeners. Songs at the beginning of the album, such as “If…” are great critiques of the state of hip hop today, but with “Russell Peters,” which deals with the loss of a loved one, the album reaches that special territory where listening from start to finish becomes a fulfilling experience. We learn what is was like for a chubby white kid growing up in Toronto - the good times, the bad times, and how it connects to society at large. My personal favorite song on the album is “Derek From Northcliffe,” which features an excessively long spoken word reminiscence about growing up in Toronto, but it’s done with such warmth and humor, I don’t mind that it goes on for minutes.

Muneshine handles the production for the majority of the album, and his chemistry with D-Sisive is on point. It’s funky and playful when it needs to be, and quiet and contemplative when it’s time to get serious. Well-placed soul samples abound, and the drums sound great. The only part of the album that really threw me is the track “Wannabe,” which features Pink Eyes of Fucked Up, which isn’t necessarily bad; it just feels a little out of place to hear that much screaming when the rest of the album is generally smooth.

When I spell out why I enjoy an album like Jonestown 2, it seems so simple that I wonder why more albums aren’t like this. I realize though, that finding a balance between all the things going on with this album is not an easy thing to achieve. D-Sisive has given us an album that makes you laugh, think, and feel, all on a deep level. Give the man his damn Juno already.