![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/justblaze.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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Netflix has added to and propagated this increasing trend of watching artists at work. \u00a0Last year, they introduced their series <\/span>Abstract<\/span><\/i> which followed a sneaker designer, illustrator, architect, and others in their process of creation. \u00a0This year, the streaming service has added to their archive the hip-hop docuseries <\/span>Rapture<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0Each installment focuses on one to two hip-hop artists as they articulate their rise to fame and the methods they employ to continuously push their craft forward. \u00a0Sort of like <\/span>Abstract<\/span><\/i>, no two segments of the installment appear to be structurally the same. \u00a0Instead, the creators of the docuseries allow the content and the energy influence and dictate the format. <\/span><\/p>\n While I have had the opportunity to watch two of the series eight, one-hour segments, this review focuses on the seventh installment, \u201cJust Blaze: It\u2019s Lit!\u201d about the legendary producer who helped cultivate the sounds of monumental rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and DMX. \u00a0Through a mix of interviews, conversations between colleagues, and audiovisual discography, audiences soon learn that it is the love of the craft combined with the spirit of collaboration that has fueled and sustained the ingenious career of the New Jersey native. <\/span><\/p>\n One of the most notable moments comes when Just\u2019s mother is asked to explain to the camera what her son does for a living. \u00a0Beaming with pride, she sits on the couch in the living room of the icons childhood home and explains, \u201cHe will spend a lot of time, listening to a lot of music, he will sit at the computer and\/or keyboard until he gets to something musically, he\u2019ll dissect it again, and he\u2019ll put it back together until he goes \u2018aha,\u2019 this is it.\u201d \u00a0She then lists off some of his greatest hits as examples as the it. Through her understanding and admiration of her son\u2019s talent, we only begin the fathom the extent of his gift, his work ethic, his passion. The scene with his mother comes near the beginning of the episode and it sets the tone for us to remain in awe and appreciation of his skill and motivation. \u00a0We smile in remembrance of the music as like he mentions later on, he has \u201ccreate[d] moments in people\u2019s lives without even realizing it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n In addition to being sonically brillant, Just Blaze\u2019s, intentionality in connecting with other producers, both \u201cold\u201d school and new school, marks him as incredibly humble and above all committed to the craft. \u00a0We follow him as he travels to studios and converses with old friends like Mobb Deep\u2019s Havoc and Swizz Beatz, as well as new-comers like DJ Mustard. He listens as they recount and somewhat recreate the processes by which they birthed some of music\u2019s hottest, most memorable beats. \u00a0It is refreshing<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>to witness such a lauded producer get gassed and sing praises over someone else\u2019s creation. \u00a0In fact, in another part of the short film Just\u2019s mother expresses how hard her son works and that he could benefit physically, emotionally, and creatively from a break where he can refuel and become inspired. \u00a0This appears to be one of the reasons for his visits to old and new friends who seem to help reignite his somewhat flickering flame. The fact that we transition between these various formats \u2013 e.g. interviews, conversations, etc. \u2013 with songs produced by the man of the hour only reminds us of how we first encountered and ultimately came to love. <\/span><\/p>\n His music introduced us to the artist. \u00a0This docuseries introduces us to the man. \u00a0Just Blaze is autodidactic and curious; as a kid he would often tinker with his father\u2019s computer programming equipment and organ, creating both code and cords. \u00a0Just Blaze is a humble. He willingly shares that he has not seen a day go by where he has not learned something, musically. Just Blaze is committed; even in his downtime he is shown gathering inspiration in the record shop. \u00a0He is a comrade; instead of bashing the new generations of music artists, he encourages and supports them all the while, trying to figure out \u2018how to remain <\/span>true to myself and also keep in touch with what\u2019s happening. \u00a0Just Blaze is a forward thinker; positing that, \u201cthe key to longevity is to take risk.\u201d \u00a0From where I am listening, this resounds true. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Netflix has added to and propagated this increasing trend of watching artists at work. \u00a0Last year, they introduced their series Abstract which followed a sneaker designer, illustrator, architect, and others in their process of creation. \u00a0This year, the streaming service has added to their archive the hip-hop docuseries Rapture. \u00a0Each installment focuses on one to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173,179],"tags":[31,127,128],"class_list":["post-2205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film-tv","category-reviews","tag-featured","tag-just-blaze","tag-rapture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.watchjaro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}