By Charlton Wallace
(AllHipHop Features) By observing the mixtape name and cover, die-hard Christians may conclude Axel was trying to emulate our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. This project is far from it, but harkens to the worldly views of Kanye West as Yeezus. Also known as “JUICE”,JuiceMan, or Young JUGO, the South Bronx native has taken off in full force in the game after years in the Hip-Hop underground scene. To some, he is already stamped as a future King and a notable to look out for before he blows. He also has declared that boom bap and punch lines are still relevant in today’s rap. He’s proven himself time and time again, on a plethora of platforms. Now, the New York homegrown emcee has been able to satisfy his supporters with his “‘Juicus Christ” mixtape.
In the “Intro’’, Axel distributes heartfelt pain on a slow pianola-laden beat. He reflects on past experiences and struggles he has had to encounter. Fans of Leon’s will be contented with “Juicus Christ” even though this is not a lyrical piece of art. It’s a moderately personal tape with different element of lanes, you may have not seen him in before. He steps out of his element and give audiences a dose of catchy and some R&B trap content. “High Rollers” has a Sasquatch beat and will have audiences head-nodding while still listening. “Phases” is a zoned- record with a slow-tempo lit beat but will have you jigging. It is not intend to be a club anthem, but will make a car ride with friends an adventure.
“Cloud 9” is a rhythm and blues appeal with trap intent, featuring another Bronx rookie Angelica Vila. This is the Axel Leon fans have never heard from. The record is a obscene trapsoul allure with weed-smoke as the prime topic. “Real Life’’ is a hypebeast- motorsport pattern record, that mimics a song from off a Fast and Furious soundtrack. “Regrets” has a gospel- spinet feel but flows and lyrics grabs audiences. It resembles acclaimed song “Lean on Me” but has a more wavy feel. Juice rides the beat cool, calm, and collected, while spilling out his thoughts and foreshadowing. On “Sometimes” Axel Leon expresses his anxiety and feelings and tellings listeners how “he really feels”. He sing-talks the chorus and surf-boards the beat. “Bad Habits” is most-likely the best song on the tape. Axel has perfected the artwork of storytelling and picture-painting lyrics. The song is very relatable and is very-much both sided. He lets audiences into the thought process of both characters.
Axel Leon has already established that he’s a certified spitter. “Juicus Christ” is proof that he can emerge from underground freestyle sessions into stardom.
