For rapper and Brooklyn-native Jay Critch, Jugg Season is more than the artist’s fifth studio album—it’s an homage to his go-getter spirit, and of course the city that made him that way. Deep diving into themes of brotherhood, street culture, and success, Jugg Season is Jay’s most authentic body of work yet. And it’s not by coincidence but by design. “I feel like this is my first time releasing music where I’m in control,” Critch explains. “I’m happy with where I am right now as an artist.”

But his journey to success hasn’t always been easy. Hailing from Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, Critch comes from humble beginnings. Growing up with a single mother and a older brother (who exposed him to rap at a young age), Critch “really came from struggle,” as he so candidly put it when catching up with VMAN. On his latest album released just a week ago, the Brooklynite utilizes lyricism to share the raw innards of his rough past with fans. On tracks like “That Was Random” and “Shit to Say” we bear witness to a masterful exploration of self-realization, almost seeing past, present, and possibly even future versions of Critch manifest. 

“In a lot of the songs, I was kind of speaking through [the voice of] my younger self. I wasn’t always up to good and I wanted to share where my head was at during that time,” Critch carefully notes furthermore emphasizing his artistic and personal growth. “I was trying to highlight different times in my life [with this project]. Before I made it, the journey of trying to succeed and where I am at right now in life.” Making it clear he has no qualms about laying it all out there for his listeners, he leans into this new found transparency saying “It’s all for the fans to pick apart. Take what you want from it.”

With five projects under his belt and a slew of co-signs from industry veterans like Fabolous and Offset, Critch has remained a fixture in the hip-hop’s rising rapper scene. But his latest project marks the turn if a new era where the rapper is taking agency over his craft, and ready to cement his place as a force in the genre. Not only is Jugg Season a colorful and inherently honest retelling of how his hustler spirit earned him great success, but is also designed to be the motivating soundtrack to every listeners come up.

Jugg Season is now available on all streaming platforms!