Jaguilera is a 22 year old artist coming out of Port Saint Lucie, Florida who drove to LA to pursue his dreams. Homeless all of 2019, his childhood was never easy. His parents migrated from Cuba to Spain, where he was born. At the age of 11 he migrated to the United States. Through an unstable life, with his family always moving around Jaguilera found solace in music, which it allowed him to express his feelings and share his experiences. Since 2017, he has turned, what was just a hobby into a career dream, which he has been pursuing passionately ever since. “This will be a long journey, with a lot of bumps on the road,” says Jaguilera. “But I know I am meant for this, so it will happen for me. I work very hard to achieve what I want. Music is my road to success and I will not stop driving on it until I reach my destination,” he concludes.
To give us a clearer picture of the journey he is navigating towards aspired success, Jaguilera presents us with his 5-track project, “Growth”, which he self-produced with the help of 2 friends. Technical prowess and lyrical complexity are skills hard to come by in an age of mumble rap and trap beats. It is in these areas where Jaguilera exhibits his appeal. Moreover, On “Growth” he combines the much flouted vibe of trendy rap with creative productions and a profound insight into contemporary music.
Throughout this work, Jaguilera is reaching for meaning and gravity rather than superficial topics. His lyrics covering his personal story and his experiences along the way to here. “Come Along” provides a strong opening to the EP with an enticingly slick production.
“I been in my mind. I been trying to find my peace. Now I’m getting money, so I gotta find a piece. Running in these streets that’s why my sneakers always crease. Now I will sacrifice it all just to see the bread increase,” builds hype and anticipation from the very start.
Supported by a steady drum beat, Jaguilera makes a salient verbal attack on “Augusta National”. The song is concise, to the point and hard-hitting. The following track, “Better”, is even more urgent, with its incessant vocal delivery, which is juxtaposed against a shimmering piano-driven backdrop.
This is Jaguilera at his best, lyrically and technically, providing a refreshing contrast to the shallow lyricism and wordplay of much of mainstream hip-hop. The energy he has while doing so, is contagious, and it’s a pretty consistent feel throughout the EP.
“Blame” opens with a rumbling synth motif, as Jaguilera keeps turning up the intensity dial. The slamming beat is absolutely perfect for the rhythm of the rhyming. You can tell Jaguilera spends a lot of time experimenting and perfecting his craft while allowing himself to be inspired by some of his best peers, which he confirms on the final track, “California Life”. Here the rapper also introduces a banging beat and a catchy melodic hook, leaving listeners wanting more.
Jaguilera shows not only consistency throughout “Growth”, but more importantly a tight grasp on his skillset, in terms of delivery, songwriting and overall production. The EP feels fresh mostly due to Jaguilera’s delivery and great moments of storytelling brilliance, and more importantly, a sense of ambition.
