Our Rating 7/10

Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon doesn’t rap like he’s trying to impress you. He raps like he already knows he can.

As of Now is long, loose, and deliberately personality-driven. It opens with humour. Not throwaway humour. Sharp, slightly absurd, meme-aware humour that immediately establishes tone. He understands the internet age of rap, but he refuses to flatten himself into it.

What makes this record compelling is the balance. He’ll brag about signing to Lex, flex with casual swagger, then pivot into vulnerability without changing volume. One minute he’s sardonic and playful, the next he’s reflecting on paranoia, relationships, self-doubt. It never feels forced. The shifts feel lived-in.

Production-wise, this sits comfortably in the modern underground ecosystem. Soul-heavy loops. Warm sample chops. Occasional Southern swing. Breakbeats that feel dusty rather than digital. You can hear the influence of collaborators like Navy Blue and Chuck Strangers in the texture. Nothing here screams for attention. It simmers.

And his flow adapts accordingly. Sometimes conversational, almost slouched back in delivery. Other times quick and precise, tightening his cadence when a beat demands it. He doesn’t rely on vocal theatrics. He relies on rhythm control.

The skits and recurring interludes add to the personality of the record. They’re not filler. They frame the album as a world. There’s a running joke about obsessive support that borders on parody, but underneath that satire is commentary about validation, ego, and the strange theatre of underground acclaim.

Critically, the album has been praised for that humour-plus-honesty duality. The wit doesn’t dilute the seriousness. It sharpens it. Some critics argue that while the album is strong, it doesn’t radically reinvent the abstract hip-hop lane. That’s fair. This isn’t sonic revolution.

It’s refinement.

The runtime might intimidate casual listeners, but that length is intentional. This isn’t playlist bait. It’s a full-body project that rewards immersion. The sequencing allows moods to unfold rather than snap into place.

As of Now confirms something important: Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon is not trying to be the loudest voice in the room. He’s trying to be the sharpest.

And in a rap landscape often obsessed with immediacy, that kind of patience feels radical.