JoeJas hasn’t just built a world, he’s driving the bus straight into it at full speed, grinning out the window, and daring you to hop on. His latest single and video, “Last 108 Ride,” is a reminder that hip-hop still has room for the weird, the visionary, and the relentlessly inventive. It’s a masterclass in production and visual storytelling from an artist who treats his music always like a delicate piece of art.

The track is rapped by JoeJas, produced under his alter-ego HairyMuffinMan, and paired with a video he shot, directed, and edited himself. When you’re watching, it centers on the 108 bus route that took him home growing up. That premise could easily lean nostalgic or sentimental, but in JoeJas’ hands it becomes something more electric. The verses jump between the earliest and final years he spent in that neighborhood, weaving memories, characters, and tiny emotional snapshots into something closer to a coming-of-age short film than a typical rap narrative.

Instrumentally, “Last 108 Ride” is a trip in itself. There’s this particularly intoxicating guitar riff that drifts in and out of the track, while the synth bassline underneath is thick enough to literally shake you. His beat choices have always had a surreal edge, but here they lock in with a hypnotic groove that pushes the track forward without ever overpowering his vocals or the storytelling.

Then there’s the video (linked above). JoeJas’ reputation for zany visuals is well earned, but this might be his most polished work yet. Shot partially on the actual bus route, the clip blends lived experience with the expanding lore of Gappy, the character anchoring his Left Handed Bandit album. From the slick edits, clever compositing, great practical effects, and bursts of animation, it’s actually crazy that a single individual was able to make this. For an artist who handles everything from art design to production to direction, the cohesion is staggering. You’re not watching a music video so much as stepping into his brain, where he’s clearly created a vision and delivered supremely on it.

For all its flair though, there’s a real tenderness in the way he frames these memories. It’s a love letter to a place that shaped him and gives you some much needed insight into the man behind the music. Plain and simple, the song is unbelievably good, but the video is even better. JoeJas continues to operate on a plane few other artists are willing to chase. Everytime something of his gets sent to us, the quality continues to expand somehow, and we’re here for all the future adventures!

Go ahead and give the video a watch, the single (and album) a spin, and make sure to follow along for all the latest.

Listen to “Last 108 Ride”

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