Twelve2Five is a 9-track Tape from Accra-based musician Jay Cliff. R&B meets alte meets hip-hop in this eclectic fusion of genres, creating a unique – yet familiar – and intimate sound. This tape is the second body of work to be released by Cliff. His first single, the 3-track ‘An Alte Cruise to a Happy Place’ received very good reviews on the internet, with blogs like iMullar and A2.O putting Cliff on the list of ‘acts to watch out for’. This new release is definitely going to cement his place on this list.
In his own words: ‘Twelve2Five represents the time we most feel alive (12 a.m – 5 a.m). This is a body of work, made out of raw emotion and vulnerability, for people that feel alone. You’re not.’ The tape covers a range of themes and topics. From suicide to sexual harassment, bad habits to loneliness, Jay Cliff demonstrates lyrical adroitness in turning these themes into songs to vibe to. Jay Cliff is open, raw, and vulnerable on the tape, and this makes listening to him both empowering and liberating. The tape boasts amazing vocals from the likes of Efya, Raphaela and Bully. Also featured is BRYANTHEMENSAH, Ghanaian
rapper and self-acclaimed King of Tea. The production and mastering of the EP were done by BRYANTHEMENSAH and Supa Gaeta, two of Accra’s most talented producers. Jay Cliff has successfully produced a body of work that, from its allure and signature upbeat-yet-melancholic sound, is a significant improvement from the man who gave us An Alte Cruise To A Happy Place.
1. DON’T (prod by Jenkins)
The project opens with a song that aims at increasing Suicide awareness in the country. Being someone who has gotten to the lowest points of his life where he even considered suicide himself, Cliff speaks his truth whilst encouraging his fans and listeners spreading the message of love and making them feel wanted. The track features the super talented Bully who delivers a powerful and relatable chorus.
2. VULNERABLE
Following her feature on Kojo Cue’s masterpiece “For My Brothers”, Raphaela graces our ears with her smooth yet strong voice, singing about a lover who slowly crept into her life and into her head then decides to up and leave when she finally becomes vested in the relationship, tagging her as vulnerable and over-emotional. Jay Cliff then delivers a calm yet gripping verse about a similar experience, rapping about the sacrifices he made that his significant other never acknowledged.
3. SUZZY (Prod by Niq-El Angelo)
This is a song which pushes a simple yet very important message which needs to be heard. Her dress is not a yes. Women can wear whatever they want and go wherever they want and have fun without having to feel uncomfortable and unsafe. Additional vocals are by Bonsrah.
4. NO TIME (Prod by Quist)
Track 4 seeks to highlight how a lot of us nowadays feel about the people we like and love. Coming from a failed relationship in Track 2, Jay Cliff is taking a cautious approach to his new relationship on this song. The icing on the cake is a feature from four-time Best Female Vocal Performance award winner, Efya whose smooth silky voice rests beautifully on the instrumentals.
5. 12-5 (Prod by Kyle)
This is an interlude that explains the entire concept of Hours and the Twelve2five tape. Vocals are by Niniola.
6. WRONG THINGS (Prod by Quist)
A very practical situation in which so many people find themselves, the artist sings about a girl whom he’s involved with although she has a man already. They both know that what they’re up to is wrong but the attraction is too strong they can’t help themselves. He samples Nelly and Kelly Rowland’s “Dilemna” for the chorus of the song.
7. HOURS EXTENDED (Prod by Quist)
This song was originally released as an interlude on “An Alte Cruise To A Happy Place” and many complained it was too short. Jay Cliff listened to the feedback and decided to give his fans a longer version aptly titled Hours Extended. Once again the artist speaks his truth on how social anxiety and depression affected one of his past relationships.
8. SET IT UP (Prod by Bryan The Mensah)
Previously working together on one of Jay Cliff’s earlier singles “Rockstar”, the two linked up again for the first of two collaborations on the tape. A hip hop song to showcase his versatility Jay Cliff taps into his bag of endless talent to give us a banger.
9. DON’T FORGET (Prod by Bryan The Mensah)
A bonus song on the tape, this is the second collaboration between the two artists that made the cut for the tape. This is a song about a love that could have been, but never really was.
The inscription at the top of the artwork is Hours written in Chinese.
The different shapes of the moon depict the individual hours from 12 to 5 am. The open eye at the bottom stands for “After hours” where everyone is awake.