JWords is a producer from New Jersey who has been releasing music for the past three years. She’s done this as part of the group H31R, alongside emcee Maassai, working with Nappy Nina on the album Double Down, and as a solo artist. Her last solo release came at the end of 2020, when she dropped her Sonic Liberation EP. Now she is back to drop another solo project, Self-Connection.

As you might have surmised from this title, this EP is about JWords journey of self-discovery, learning to connect with herself and feel whole. These are all great things to think about and meditate on as you listen to this project. While her projects with H31R and Nappy Nina were more hip hop-centered, Self-Connection is a project where JWords can throw caution to the wind and get as weird as she wants with it. That she does, creating an experimental electronic EP in the process that wavers between house, downtempo, and hip hop, but never really settles in one particular place. JWords seems more interested in discovering what’s in the cracks in between these genres, and figuring out how she can carve out her own niche while she’s there. It’s a dark and moody project, one that’s really easy to get lost in as the bass and the rhythm pulse around you and through you while all of these interesting melodic elements and shifts in composition keep you on your toes. Where JWords really shines is the way she’s able to transition songs in different directions without ever losing momentum. It’s a skill that always seems easier on paper than in practice. Overall, this is a project that will sound fantastic on a late night drive where you can really spend some time with yourself and the music and get to know both better.

JWords is still relatively young in her career, but she’s been quietly building a really nice resume over the past couple of years. Self-Connection is a great step forward for her, one that lets all of us know not to box her in or just assume that we already know what she’s capable of.