Mixtape Review: JEAN-PIERRE - GOSPEL
Label: Self-released
Released: February 25, 2025
Genre: 160, Footwork
Tracklist:
01. Beat ‘Em Down
02. Don’t Run // Get Over Here
03. dick2thick
04. There Was Only One (The Beat)
05. Rain Man
06. 1996
07. bleepbloopsong
08. broken metronome
In the beginning was the works…
To appease my own curiosity, I’ve been on a mission to speak to every pioneer and contributor of footwork culture to help define what exactly it is, and there’s one thing they can unanimously agree upon: Footwork is a symbiotic relationship between DJs and dancers during battle. So what can we call these 150-160 BPM tracks with syncopated triplet claps that might have been produced without the presence or consideration of a dancer? If GOSPEL, the latest eight-track mixtape from Newark’s JEAN-PIERRE, isn’t footwork—it’s as close as you can get.
The connection between Chicago and Newark is undeniable. In 2010, a Chicago-based label called Ghettophiles anointed its catalog with Straight Outta Newark, four cuts of Jersey Club by founding father DJ Tameil, before going on to release projects from the likes of DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn, DJ Phil, Traxman, and more. While JEAN-PIERRE might have only discovered footwork in the last three years, his penchant for it might have been written in stone.
Every track in GOSPEL is inspired by footwork, but “Beat ‘Em Down” and “Rain Man” are unmistakably battle tracks. Each feature repetitive taunts that echo through a quintessential quick-paced pattern that would keep any dancer on their toes (pun intended). They’re the most straightforward of the bunch, giving a nice baseline for JP’s understanding and respect for the core of the genre before he goes on to experiment with his own interpretations. In “1996,” the New Jersey producer plays with the construct of how vocals can be used in a song, trading regular drum kicks for adlibs. Glitchy goodness cascades through “bleepbloopsong” via oscillating synths that follow a rapid-fire rhythm. “Don’t Run // Get Over Here” and “broken metronome” both sound like a three-bedroom apartment where you can hear one roommate listening to footwork and one listening to R&B from the other room.
JEAN-PIERRE includes “Jersey Club” in the Bandcamp tags, which isn’t entirely mislabeled — its distinctive bounce is inescapable throughout GOSPEL. The jury’s still out on whether or not JP has step foot on a battle ground, but from where I’m standing, he’s spreading the word of footwork with the right approach.
