After killing every feature he has been on over the past two years or so I felt it was right to shout out one of my favorite emcees in the Tampa Bay Hip Hop Scene, Jay Browne. In this article I will be ranking Browne’s Top 5 Feature Verses thus far.
It was hard to narrow it down to five records but I feel these tracks showcase just how versatile of an emcee Browne is, as well as the caliber of emcees that put him on the track.
One of my favorite tracks off Frank’s “Angels EP”, “No Bonnie” was a different take on the “Me & My Girlfriend” style track from greats like Pac and Hov. Browne has spit about trifling women before on past tracks but this one he’s standing above all that, not letting any woman get in the way of his paper and his career.
Barley Legal’s “Dat Way” is a song of the year contender. I am not sure there are many other tracks that get both sides of the bay so it had to make the list. The tables turn a bit for Jay on this track as he brings the gravitas to the track, building on his already tight relationship with the Barely Legal Collective.
At the “2 Much 2 Robb” album listening party Gat$ and Jordan Patrick said they wanted to give Jay Browne a beat that was a bit different than the usual production he goes over. In return we get one of my favorite tracks off the album and by far one of Browne’s best verses of the year. Jxpvtty comes through with that wrapped wonky production. Once the beat really starts going Browne just hits this pocket, especially on that “In My Lifetime” line. We need visuals for this joint by the way.
In my mind this joint is already a 813 Classic. The old school and the new school come together on Scxtt Aye’s “Diamonds” of the 813 Essential album “Doves”. It’s a toss who really had a better verse on the track, which is one of the highest compliments you can give knowing how much respect Browne and the city has for Scxtt Aye. I really love the way Browne starts off his first with the “Who is him, who is me, who am I” line. We need a video for this classic A$AP!
This shit right here mane was made for the Bucs to run out of the tunnel. The Pusha Preme connection brought Browne’s confidence and game to the next level on their immortal 813 classic track “Never Thought”. I dig how Browne slows his verse down a bit towards the beginning but then once shit gets rolling you got no choice but to get hype.
Feature verses like these have only catapulted Jay Browne to the top of the pack when it comes to this Tampa Bay Hip Hop shit. Every time you see Jay Browne featured on a track you know he is bringing pressure, building anticipation for his next solo effort. The top might not be his at the moment but it doesn’t take a psychic to see that the Tampa Bay Hip Hop throne will be his soon enough.