Jus. Chase doesn't beat around the bush with "Stay Clear," a scorching, high-voltage entry from JUNXVII's "Dead Roses and Wine" project that refuses to whisper when it could scream. The duality of "Stay Clear" is what makes it feel like such a standout: It's lo-fi yet lively, thoughtful but charged, moody yet motivating. Not every day you encounter a song that can only point at internal disquiet and still whip up some active momentum in that, too, but with Jus. Chase lands it cleanly.
Jus. Chase strides to the mic with a presence that you immediately take note of, spitting hard, chunky, no-nonsense bars over eerie lo-fi textures and ominous melodies. It's the sort of song that would lodge itself in you through atmospherics, then hold you hostage with attitude. The production hums like a distant storm, echoing themes of isolation, self-defense, and metamorphosis, all cloaked in a delivery that is both intimate and explosive in the same breath.
Where many lo-fi or alt hip-hop cuts can drift into downtempo white space, "Stay Clear" elbows the genre into awareness. It's inspirational without being didactic, woke but not sanctimonious. Jus. Chase's flow walks that line between tale teller and big homie, and he informs you, with the same weight he wields on everything else on the album, that he is not simply stating these things; he is letting you know what it took to make it out alive. It's a song for everybody who's had to put up walls, cut cords, or protect their energy.
This is headphone music with some teeth. Perfect for moody nights in or early morning reboots, the song slips seamlessly into playlists such as Lowkey Rap, Mood Therapy, or Alone Again. However, don't be surprised if it slaps just as hard in the gym or during a 2 a.m. clarity session. There's a certain grit to the production, as if you're walking alone under city lights, and you have chosen yourself. This feels like the song you desire to be a mirror and a shield — a sense that you're not alone, and it's not your fault, and that's not nothing. It doesn't just register in your ears, but in your chest.
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