Album review: Majid Jordan find “The Space Between” electronic and R&B

Max Miller
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 13:32:22 +0000
Arts & Life, Music, "Gayle", album review, drake, Jordan Ullman, Majid Al-Maskati, Majid Jordan, noah shebib, One I want, ovo sound, partynextdoor, R&B, rap, The space between, what you do to me

Hip-hop and R&B group Majid Jordan has been making a name for itself since debuting in 2013. Originally discovered by Drake and his main producer Noah Shebib –– better known as “40” –– ?the duo has become increasingly popular for its sound.

Composed of producer Jordan Ullman and vocalist Majid Al-Maskati, Majid Jordan signed with Drake’s OVO Sound crew back in August 2013. After its self-titled album released in February 2016, the group announced its most recent album, “The Space Between.” After over a year and a half of touring and album production, the album was released Oct. 27th.

What I liked

At track two, “Gave Your Love Away” definitely brings a melodic and creative sound early in the album. Originally premiered at the Louis Vuitton fashion show last summer, “Gave Your Love Away” has been a long-awaited song for casual listeners.

The sixth track, “One I Want,” is by far the biggest song on the album. Released as one of the singles, featured artist and OVO counterpart PartyNextDoor takes command of the song. “One I Want” creates an electric dance atmosphere with a hip-hop flow. With over 21-million plays on Spotify, expect this song to continue to grow.

“What You Do To Me” is a personal favorite of mine on the album. Ullman’s production is superb, which is on full display in this track. Heavy bass and shimmering melodies make this song special. Al-Maskati expresses that he’ll always keep space for that special someone.

Track 12, “The Space Between,” brings a new, creative approach to an already diverse hip-hop and R&B music scene. The duo’s uncommon sounds work really well together. The electricity of the production paired with the slow vibrations kept me interested the whole way — not to mention how much its vocalist has progressed since the pair’s first album.

What I didn’t like

“The Space Between” seemed to blend into Majid Jordan’s first album. If I were to take both albums and combine them, it wouldn’t be a noticeable difference. I was waiting for the duo to blow me away with something different than what I’ve already heard.

With four singles released before the album, I felt as if I had already heard a majority of it. Fans waited a long time without much to show for it, which is not good for an album that took nearly two years to produce. I could even state the case for five singles being released since “Gave Your Love Away” premiered over the summer. More than half of the album would have been released before the actual CD was made available.