While attending SXSW this past spring, there was a moment during Aceyalone’s set when he called a bunch of Project Blowed emcees on stage for a freestyle session. I expected to see some of the usual faces I associate with the name, such as Myka 9, Abstract Rude, 2Mex, or Busdriver. Instead, we got a younger group that was largely unfamiliar to me. It quickly occurred to me that there is a new generation coming through the ranks at the legendary L.A. open-mic workshop that I needed to learn about. One of these names is JNatural.

JNatural might be small in stature, but when I saw her in concert recently, she commanded the attention of men twice her size. She possesses a big voice and switches between a soulful singing voice that’s reminiscent of Joyo Velarde and a rapping style that is obviously influenced by her Project Blowed elders. While there are points in her verses that I can pick out these influences, she’s managed to mix them into her own delivery. What especially impresses me here, though, is the maturity and development in her lyrics and songwriting. Love Is On Hiatus explores the different meanings of the word “love.” While this isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, JNatural takes on the material in such a personal way, and with such interesting musical choices, it doesn’t really matter. The intro to the album contains a montage of audio clips of different people giving their definition of the word, which brought to mind Lauryn Hill, which worried me slightly upon first listen, but the album quickly moves in a different direction. The title track that follows features a searing guitar line and minimal production to create a melancholic song about the disillusionment that can be felt about love, whether between two people, society at large, or with God. We get a range of styles and emotions from JNatural, and while some work better than others, there no real failure on the album. The samba-inspired beat of “Desire” is an incredibly intimate and sexy song, which contrasts the strong defiance of “Limber Slinky,” where Natural moves on from a broken relationship. “They Want Sex,” works with a powerful horn riff and driving drum beat to explore the powers and dangers of sex. I think my personal favorite song is “I Am Where The Music Is,” featuring Ariano, which features a R&B chorus that recalls the mid ‘90s, but Natural’s thoughtful and personal lyrics during the verses once again make the music all her own, this time inspiring hope in her listeners.

Taking a quick glance at all the albums reviewed at Scratched Vinyl in 2011, it doesn’t take long to notice disparities in representation, most notably the lack of female artists. I know hip hop has always been something of a boys club, but some of the best records ever have been by women. Even Project Blowed, which did have some extremely talented women involved from the beginning, is better known for the male emcees that came out of it. I know there is a burden of representation being put on JNatural, and I hate that I’m happy to have more female artists to discuss, and that we’re still having this conversation in 2011. However, I do feel good that I can tell you that Love Is On Hiatus is a strong album on it’s own merits. There are a few hiccups where I feel like JNatural is still finding her style, but she’s possesses a great singing voice, and she’s an even better lyricist and emcee. If her first album is this good, I’ll be anxious to hear what she does in the future.