A Jawn Supreme (Vol. 1)

by Small professor

Listen On: Spotify - Apple Music - Bandcamp

With an incredible and immense catalogue of releases to date, Philly producer Small Professor compiled and remastered his favorite tracks into the stunning and unmissable A Jawn Supreme project. Kicking off with Vol. 1, the gifted beatsmith breathes new life into 12 tracks that now sound better than ever while also evoking timeless, unfortunate truths about our society.

You can hear how this album reflects these days and times, especially during the hellscape that is 2020, on nearly every cut. But it’s particularly evident on standout single “wish cops would stop killing unarmed black people,” which Pro actually produced in 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray in the custody of Baltimore police officers. “Unfortunately, this song continued being relevant as the months and years went by to the point of absurdity,” he says, adding that different and extreme changes to American ideas of policing and imprisonment need to occur for things to change.

In addition to being a powerful statement, “wish cops…” is a testament to Pro’s talents as an artist. By interpolating Special Ed’s verse from the legendary track “Crooklyn,” he flips everything into an entirely new song, vocals and all. But even without words as his guide, tracks like “reflection” demonstrate that these aren’t mere “beats” or “loops” but fully realized songs with building emotions and layers.

While the music contained within A Jawn Supreme (Vol. 1) is reason enough to be excited, the best part just might be that we’re due to hear more very soon. Vol. 1 is available now through your preferred digital retailer or streaming platform, with Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 due out Aug 21 and Oct 16, respectively. And on Cassette Store day, which this year is Oct. 17, you can buy all three installments on a single cassette. It’s all being released through Small Pro’s Goliath Beats imprint via Coalmine Records, which previously worked in partnership on projects like his Highway Robbery collaboration with Guilty Simpson, and 2019’s acclaimed 86 Witness LP with the late Sean Price.