Sunday, October 22, 2006

The Return of Jo Doja



My co-host brought a kid to my attention one day outside of the Phono Booth, our unofficial headquarters. The kid started to freestyle and I was a little leery. But after the first couple of lines, I realized that he was performing a tribute to our video show. I was almost humbled. He threw in a dis to a rival video programmer and I've been a fan of his ever since.

Yesterday, on a day pass, I stopped by of the few remaining independent record stores left in my area. I noticed a flyer for a new CD from Jo Doja. This is was what Lil Fats took to calling himself several years ago. Smart move. You can't be "Lil" or "Yung" forever. After a deal with Priority Records dissolved a few years back, Joe seemed to be stuck in label limbo. He's back now.

The existence of this CD ("More Than Music") proves that patience,loyalty and hard work can pay off. Jo stuck by the small label he's associated with and the production team (I think they're the same person) that supported him and now he's poised to reap the benefits. I haven't made it through the whole disc, but it sounds professional and radio friendly. Jo shows some maturity with this release with a variety of subject matter and a degree of introspection amid the club bangers.

Someone call Nokia. Mr. Doja is ready for his ringtone.

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