Jemini The Gifted One Scars And Pain

One of the most promising debuts of 1995 gets reissued on a Japanese edition that includes five remixes previously only available on vinyl and promo-only CD singles. The original album was shelved indefinitely, being deemed “commercially unviable” (as the story goes), followed up only by a critically-praised string of solid singles, including a single on Tommy Boy in 1998 and one Danger Mouse collaboration in 2002. This expanded edition shines with production and remixes from Godfather Don, Buckwild, Organized Konfusion, Minnesota, Goldfinger, and others, with Jemini showing lyrical skills and a soulful potential that put him solidly alongside other gritty hip hop releases of 1995: Mobb Deep “The Infamous”, Ol’ Dirty Bastard “Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version”, and Raekwon “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…”, although the best comparison/association would probably be D.I.T.C (Buckwild production on the title track) with his laid back delivery and gritty street vibe perfectly suiting the sample-based beat backdrop.