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Slim Jxmmi - The Hidden Treasure of Rae Sremmurd

When you have a rap duo like Outkast, Clipse, EPMD, Mobb Deep, Run The Jewels, and so on, it isn't uncommon for one member's contributions to be overlooked. Rae Sremmurd the duo made up by the Tupelo, Mississippi brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi, and produced by Mike Will. Everyone loves Swae Lee features, begs for solo work and he's a likeable guy. But, the group isn't a group with just one man Slim Jxmmi and his contributions have been long overlooked.

It doesn't matter how many times "No Flex Zone," is played or how long you freeze to "Black Beetles," people tend to act as if "Brxnks Truck," doesn't hit. I understand, Swae Lee sings and autotunes, that's what a lot of people want these days. But, those aren't the only people who listen to Rae Sremmurd. Jxmmi brings a different group to the table, people who just like bars. Now, I'm not saying Jxmmi is the next coming of Rakim. Jxmmi is akin to Juicy J in the sense that he can give you bars, about anything.

Slim Jxmmi is what I like to call a rappity ass rapper, meaning he just raps. Jxmmi isn't going to try to croon to you over a melodic hook. He's not doing a hook, a bridge and an alternate hook for the ending of a song. You can debate the substance of his bars, but he's giving you substance. Jxmtro from the solo portion of Sremm Life 3 showed that Jxmmi is here to rap your ears off if you allow him. A lot of the hooks were lacking, that can't be denied, but the man rapped about a variety of topics using multiple styles.

That's when I realized Rae Sremmurd could have never worked without Jxmmi. If he wasn't there providing the contrast, it wouldn't have mattered. Do you remember Travis Porter, the original Migos? They all had the same flow, same topics and after a run on top they vanished. Migos had to their own way because they were all too similar. Rae Sremmurd would have had to the do the same, but Jxmmi brings a different audience than Swae. He brings the people who were excited for that 20 minute freestyle they did. He brings people looking for substance over vibes. Jxmmi brings the bars, and Swae brings the vibes. People love the vibes he brings, but vibes alone don't keep people interested.

Swae Lee does a lot of features without Jxmmi, and Jxmmi might just dislike doing features. He wouldn't be the first. Getting a verse from Lupe Fiasco, Kendrick Lamar, Nas or J. Cole is almost impossible unless you've done work with them before. While Jxmmi does a lot less features, his features are much more interesting. Take for instance the track "B Ok," by pop artist Baby Goth. A song that is essentially about being too cool to kill yourself. It isn't my cup of tea, but "Fine Wine and Hennessy," by Afro B is my cup of tea. You can keep all the tracks Swae Lee did with infamous villain Post Malone, Future or whoever. Listening to Slim Jxmmi spit love bars over afrobeat is kind of wild, and I love it. Don't get me wrong, he's got the tracks with Juicy J and other mainstream rappers, but the stuff that goes unnoticed by most is infinitely more interesting.

Maybe one day they stop doing albums together, that's the nature of life. I even understand that sometimes the solo career might be more meaningful than the group career. Busta Rhymes loves talking about Leaders of The New School and the fun times he had; but that didn't make him a star. Big Boi would love to make more OutKast music, but OutKast didn't perform at the superbowl. NWA was great, but I'm pretty sure Ice Cube and Dr. Dre are okay with how things turned out. 

Swae Lee has already become the designated hook singer for a lot of rappers, that's his path outside of whatever solo work he does. The door is wide open for Jxmmi, and he hasn't exactly been shy touching on other genres. He might do an album with Lil Nas X, do a rock album like Vic Mensa or Lil Wayne. He might leave music for the business and tech worlds, only appearing sporadically like Chamillionaire and MIMS. However, if and when that day comes, it is important to remember there is no Rae Sremmurd without Slim Jxmmi.

You can check out some of my short stories at 12 AM Fiction or if you like vampires follow my web serial Exsanguinate and of course hear me on the Powerbomb Jutsu podcast if you enjoy pro wrestling.

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