Behind some of the most innovative records in contemporary jazz, J. Rawls is a name that stands out. A producer, DJ, and scholar, he has devoted his career to building bridges between urban culture, education, and jazz.
His work with figures like yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli from Black Star made him a key reference in the jazz-hop movement, but his influence didn’t stop there. Today, he is an Assistant Professor of Hip Hop at The Ohio State University, where he leads the country’s first academic program based on hip hop culture.
Rawls translates the soul of jazz into the present. On “Midnight Angel,” his latest production with Solene Velvet, known as the mother of Cyber Jazz, the producer demonstrates why his vision remains one of the most refined in the genre.
“Midnight Angel” is full of intentional noise, layered vocals, and raw textures that create a cinematic experience, a sonic signature only Rawls could design.
The other half of this creative alliance is Solene Velvet, a pioneer of the cyber jazz movement. Before “Midnight Angel,” she had collaborated with artists like Talib Kweli, Statik Selektah, and Paul Wall and surpassed four million streams with her 2024 album “Chase the Stars.” On “Midnight Angel,” her voice becomes the emotional thread that ties together the sonic world Rawls has crafted.
In the title track, the piano takes center stage, amplifying the drama of the plea “save me.” Then, “Rise in Colors” lets hip-hop in with a stronger rhythmic cadence, while “Can’t Catch Me In Love” reveals the Afro-Latin connection that Rawls handles so elegantly, evoking the cabarets of the 1950s.
Each track has its own texture, yet the common thread that runs through them is the pursuit of an expanded jazz that can coexist with rap, soul, and electronic music without losing its essence.
In “The Fontaine Blues,” Rawls clears the space for the voice to shine, warm and free, while in “24K Rose” and “What a Way to Go,” his production becomes intimate, with distant pianos, soft trumpets, and a minimal beat that closes the journey with subtlety.
On “Midnight Angel,” J. Rawls and the remarkable talent of Solene Velvet reconfigure the genre, stripping away the classic suit and dressing it in neon without erasing its soul. The academic lens and the producer’s instinct merge into a vision that balances the street with the spiritual.
It’s no exaggeration to say that with this project, J. Rawls and Solene are redefining jazz for the digital age. They do it with reverence for its roots, yet without fear of breaking them, transforming the genre into the free, unpredictable, and vibrant space it has always been. All it takes is a quiet listen, headphones on, door closed, and mind open.
Follow J. Rawls and Solene Velvet on Instagram.