DON’T STAY DON’T GO - Jxdece
Artwork - “DON’T STAY DON’T GO”
I was coming home from the Forest Park blue line during early commuter hours, and I always really valued going into the city in the wee hours of the morning. That time of day with all those people up and ready to work, really was the reminder I needed that somebody is always gonna wake up and go get it. The Midwest taught me that. Chicago taught me that. It established the standard for what hard work is. Being naive and not paying attention, the train shifts, and I stumble and step full-footed on the right shoe of the man sitting closest to me. He’s dressed black turtleneck with a long beige coat, black slacks, a thin gold chain, a fashionable black sun hat, and a fucking pair of black Air Force Ones.
“Lips sing forever, palm trees is better, my dark leaves is better, my palm reads vendetta”
Jxdece can rap his ass off, and the video for “DON’T STAY DON’T GO” brings the song’s vision to the small screen, really solidifying the themes that Jxdece incorporates, both thru performance and lyrics. Produced by ghowste and the video shot and produced by HALV, Tennessee continues to produce the best homegrown creatives that could go pound for pound with any state in America.
Start with the video. The two scenes, one in the greenhouse, one in the back seat, struck me off bat. Such beautiful lighting with lush greenery contrasted with the dark interior of a car ready for action, with the consistent thing in both scenes being his outfit. All black, hoodie, sweats, beanie, and all-black shoes (not Forces tho); the outfit tells a story in itself. Maybe the greenhouse is his safe space away from the reality around him. It could be the literal inside of his mind, and him just enjoying his peace, and when that mask gets pulled down, it’s back to reality. He’s an incredible actor/presence too, helping tie the feelings of the song and the video together.
The hook is ghastly. “Don’t stay, don’t go”, repeated, like an old familiar voice calling out to you. Pulling you back to earth, he grabs you with his natural confidence, and slowly opens up a story of anger, violence, tragedy, and a myriad of other feelings that help make this song incredibly powerful and poignant. The difference in these two vocal processings alone really sets that duality, just like the greenhouse and the backseat. I already said he can rap his ass off, but he sounds like a heavyweight that moves with ease, almost effortless. His content, storytelling, and his ability to command attention; Jxdece has the keys. In his words alone, he describes that old nature, “stringin shit thru holes”, “connect like Ali”, “uppin it soon as he spot you”; childish feelings of power, the pride that’s seemingly lost, the response that it inquires and the reality of those decisions.
“N*ggas just run away,
he aiming it to engulf you,
Bullets ain’t gotta know you,
Can’t escape from the smoke too
He gon’ ride yeah whenever he suppose to
Figure you had time to think about
What you gon do…”
It’s tragic, sad, sometimes hopeless, and he captures all of it. It’s emotional. It’s a metamorphosis. Maybe he’s a butterfly inside that greenhouse.
I got goosebumps when I stepped on that man’s shoes. Hell yeah I was scared. Lil ol’ me in a new city committing a sin on public transit; I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life, and he just stared at me and wiped his shoe off. I don’t know why he didn’t do something to me. Maybe he was just nice. Maybe he understood the sentiments of what Jxdece is talking about and how the circle of violence stops with yourself. Maybe I just got lucky.
