For those not in the know, a jux is slang for robbery. You add some rust to it and that would imply an extra dose of foulness to an already dirty deed. Simply put that’s exactly what Duck Down Records affiliate and long time collaborator Ruste Juxx is putting down with his debut album Indestructible (Duck Down). But what else would you expect from a Brooklyn MC cosigned by Heltah Skeltah’s own Sean Price?
Off top Ruste goes hard on the opener “Wipe Off Ya Smile” as he validates his gun aim over cascading pianos. Things move onto an ode to the whip game with “System On Blast”. Ruste makes his love of big sounds clear as he details how the speakers in the car make him the main attraction on the block.
Juxx offers a change of pace with “Morgue Truck”. Even though the tales of him waiving the hammer are still ever present, his speedy double time flow found on this track keeps things interesting. Additionally he briefly sheds his hardcore exterior to mourn his late sister Blaze on “Blaze My Fire”.
The pain of his loss is evident through some poignant heartfelt lyrics: “Levaughn I apologize for everything I said that hurt you / Never meant to dessert you or cause you pain / All the fallouts we had kept us distant for a minute / But I couldn’t stay mad at you we love without a limit”.
While Ruste is no slouch on the microphone, the album suffers from subject matter generally limited to gunplay, blunts, and hustling. He expresses his undying love of marijuana on “Machine Gun Skunk” but the track is unoriginal to the say the least. With “Grave Digga” Ruste incessantly lays down the murder game for three minutes straight but doesn’t inject enough creativity to keep the listener’s attention past the first couple of bodies he catches.
Overall Indestructible has its moments, but isn’t as durable as the title may allude too. Truly Ruste represents the gangsters, which is fine, but the music has to be a precise shot rather than just spraying everywhere hoping to land your target.
Ruste Juxx
“Wipe Off Ya Smile”
