2.17.2023

Clinton Hill’s Own Jay Critch Shares Jugg Season, His New Project

The Multi-Faceted New Project Features Appearances From Max B, Rich The Kid, and Baby Money, Plus Production from Laron, MexikoDro, BrentRambo, and More

Critical Praise:

“Jay Critch is the new New York”– The FADER

“Since last summer, he’s kept his foot on the pedal with a slew of new releases, and those efforts seemingly ramped up even more since the top of the year.” – HotNewHipHop

“Jay Critch is naturally gifted” – Rap Radar

The Project:

Firing up New York City with his no-nonsense flow and expensive tastes, Brooklyn’s Jay Critch has his borough on his back. Taking his fate and his bag into his own hands, Critch shares Jugg Season, an expansive and effortlessly fly new album. With a cover that finds Jay surveying his kingdom from the top of the Barclays Center, the new album is the culmination of Jay’s five years as a crucial figure in his city’s scene, brimming with the confidence of a hot shot upstart made good. Incorporating sounds from the Five Boroughs and beyond, the 19-track project bounces from the Shiny Suit Era to the SoundCloud explosion to the heyday of the Coke Boys, with Critch serving as a versatile and charismatic navigator. The 24-year-old Clinton Hill native flashes a lyrical maturity that nearly matches his ambition, weaving his own history with the rich heritage of NYC rap music.

Jugg Season recruits producers from all over the rap map, with contributions from plugg maestro MexikoDro, heady Chicago sound architect BrentRambo, Atlanta impresario Richie Souf, West Coast magicians RonRonTheProducer and ThankYouFizzle, plus more. The tape’s 19 tracks provide plenty of opportunity for Critch to unfurl disrespectful flexes and visceral bars, as he dances over icy keyboards on “No Edits,” processes his pain on the guitar-flecked “Tuscan,” and reestablishes his Hood Favorite status on the towering “Cargos.“ “Raincoats” pairs Critch with Detroit rhymer Baby Money for a motivational hustler’s anthem, and reunites with mentor Rich The Kid for “Missiles,” an atmospheric banger that easily could’ve fit on one of the classic Rich Forever tapes. Most notably, Critch goes toe-to-toe with Max B on the aptly-titled “Still Wavy,” combining Max’s signature melodies with Critch’s hard-headed snarl.

Since he burst onto the scene as a teenager with singles like “Ad Libs” and the beloved Hood Favorite mixtape, Jay Critch has been one of New York’s favorite sons. His collaborations with Rich The Kid and Famous Dex on the Rich Forever mixtape series remain the stuff of legend, but he hasn’t stopped switching up his style or releasing new heat for the streets. His 23-track 2021 effort Critch Tape found the artist expanding his sound to absorb drill and other prevailing street styles. The tape featured collaborations with fellow New Yorkers Fivio Foreign and Lil Tjay, as well as influential figures Skillibeng and Drakeo The Ruler. Critch recently expanded his CV to include modeling, as he modeled for the Kors x Ellesse campaign alongside Emily Ratajkowski in 2022.

With Jugg Season in the books Jay Critch seeks to resume his Five Borough takeover. Stream Jugg Season everywhere via Talk Money Ent./EMPIRE.

Stream Jugg Season: https://music.empi.re/juggseason

Watch Jay Critch’s Vlog about the run-up to Jugg Season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLLsOvdtQEs

Jugg Season tracklist:

That Was Random (prod. A Lau x Zuko x Eli Wtf)
Cargos (prod. E Rose)
Punchy (prod. Laron)
Minutes (prod. Luca Beats)
Nuh Uh (This Ain’t That) (prod. Bngrz)
No Edits (prod. 17ondatrack)
Tackle (prod. Chulo)
Riddle / Greece (prod. Laron)
Raincoats (feat. Baby Money) (prod. Laron)
Oh What A Feeling (prod. Fizzle & Julia Lewis)
Still Wavy (feat. Max B)
Tuscan (prod. Laron)
Handle (prod. BrentRambo)
Chanel and Paris (prod. Chulo)
Missiles (feat. Rich The Kid) (prod. D Mac)
Clutch (prod. MexikoDro)
Landslide (prod. Richie Souf)
Shit To Say (prod. OkayKhan)
Bonus Track – Wrong Person (prod. RonRon)

Photo credit: @HazzNYC

Please contact Michelle or Chris for more info.

The Background:

Jay Critch may very well be the answer to New York’s calls for representation in the rap game. As a young kid, Jay Critch was fascinated by his older brother’s music. Listening to his brother rap, Critch began to eventually do the same. Born in 1998 in Clinton Hill, Critch wrote raps at a young age, but wasn’t recording until he was of preteen age. Rappers such as Lil Wayne, Fabolous, and Max B dominated Critch’s listening habits and became major influences in his own music career.