Junclassic

"You give me a shot, just give me a chance to get my voice heard; I wouldn't even have words for that, man," says Terence Howard's character DJay to Skinny Black (Ludacris) in 2005's Hustle and Flow. The line is delivered so effectively that it's no wonder producer DJ Husky chose to include it as an interlude in Junclassic's Imaginary Enemies. The quote embodies the hope, drive and frustration that anybody hoping for a break possesses deep down at their core. As an independent artist releasing work on a self-created label, Jun (short for Junior) is no different. "It's the struggle that puts the muscle on skinny cats like me," he says in opening track "Beginning." There's plenty of solid content on this LP, the third by the 32-year-old from the mean streets of Southside Jamaica, Queens, NYC. The death of Jun's brother features prominently in the second half of the album. "ZeeZee's Groove" is a life lesson for Jun's niece and "I Can't Die/You" also delves into the life-altering loss. "Bouquet of Flowers" stands out with its piano loop and staggered drums clouded with crackling from an old record player. Imaginary Enemies won't have people anointing Junclassic the next King of Queens but it will earn him respect for good, hard work.