Black Friday

A product of the Nickerson Gardens Projects in the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts, Jay Rock raps like he’s got his teeth bared at all times. *Black Friday* offers a portrait of a man as intelligent as he is angry. Supported by other distinctive voices of the Black Hippy crew—Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul, in particular—Rock plays the role of combat veteran. His gruff but vulnerable delivery is obviously influenced by Game, his most immediate predecessor. But on “F\*\*k the Police” and “Money Makin’ Moves,” he hits on something entirely his own: an enraged voice cutting through shadowy streets.