Filipino rapper-producer Young Cocoa revisits his experiences of growing up in Jakarta on “J-TOWN (PM)”—his new single via pan-regional label, OFFMUTE.
According to the prolific young artist, “J-TOWN (PM)” maps a pivotal moment in his life where he embraced the joys and pains of living in a multicultural city, pursued his goals and dreams, and met people with diverse backgrounds.
“The song is about how I feel about Jakarta,” Young Cocoa reflects. “It’s not so much a nostalgic visit as it is one where I express how much impact the city has had on me.”
While the majority of the lyrics are delivered in English, some of the lines in Young Cocoa’s latest track are in Bahasa Indonesia. The Manila chart-topper shares, “The way I did it was inspired by other Southeast Asian artists who would mix English and their native languages into their lyrics. I chose to incorporate Bahasa because I felt it was necessary to tell my story as authentically as possible, as this is a more serious take on how I normally structure the lyrics and storytelling of my music.”
“J-TOWN (PM)” is produced by Young Cocoa’s frequent collaborator Trizzy, whose work pushes the rookie act to experiment and explore his sound even further. Combining drum n’ bass elements with UK Garage and lo-fi textures, the song showcases a grittier, edgier, and more serious side of Young Cocoa, while allowing listeners to get to know him on a deeper lyrical level.
“JTOWN is the most different song I’ve ever made,” says Young Cocoa. “I consider it a benchmark in my discography in terms of my sound selection, tempo, mood, and overall evolution of taste.”
“J-TOWN” will be on Young Cocoa’s debut mixtape, Sari Sari, to be released in the coming months. The soon-to-be-released EP contains a collaboration with an Asian artist he met last year at a music festival, as well as some bops.
