Canadian rap star Jazz Cartier couldn’t have asked for a better opening week for his highly anticipated new album (and major label debut), Fleurever.
After just seven days, the album has been streamed more than 20 million times on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The rapper took to social media earlier to thank fans for their support. With a screenshot of the total stream count at 20,726,886, Cartier wrote:
“1 WEEK OLD W 20 M’s 🙏🏿 #FLEUREVER THANK YOU FLEURGANG 💐”
Fleurever was met with a fair share of positive reviews by hip-hop journalists, with some writers complaining of track selection/the depth of certain song (or even smaller things like song arrangement). Critique is to be expected, especially from a major label release, but if you’re a diehard Jazz Cartier fan you’re probably not hearing much of that. At the same time, artists evolve. Some fans might not relate to the material the same way they did with his earlier releases. As one person on Twitter put it:
“Guess you found out where that anger came from and got rid of it. Glad your living the high life but… shit man your music lost its feeling. Toronto’s playboy? Just what we needed, another one of those… I miss the downtown jazz. The save me from myself jazz.. shit was real.”
NowToronto said Fleurever is Cartier’s “most cohesive album to date: it’s all about hooky flows and hard, trap drums tuned for maximal impact on club systems, but undercut by streaks of melodic melancholy.”
Exclaim! went as far as stating Fleurever would “change the state” of the Canadian game: “For fans who have been following the rapper from day one, the album is Cartier at his best, though brighter, evolved and more polished.”
Complex published a great profile on Jazz today that you really need to check it out. It provides a ton of new information on Jazz’s background, and come up on the music scene, and also touches on how Fleurever came together.
“In a reflective state, Cartier, who’s known to be especially particular in the studio, says that despite making almost 200 songs for the project, it took the laid-back vibes of an AirBNB in High Park—a Toronto neighborhood near Lake Ontario—to find his vision.” – Erin Lowers (Complex)
Striving to create a legacy on his own terms, Jazz has taken the time in between projects to perfect his most ambitious body of work to date. “The driving force of Fleurever is duality – whether it’s battling the balances of love and money, risks and rewards, right and wrong, or living and dying. I shed a lot of old layers in order to grow new wings,” Cartier shared with Billboard.
From the introspective self-reflection on “Soul Searcher,” to the magnetic energy of “Right Now,” (a track that became an official anthem for the Toronto Raptor’s during the 2018 NBA playoffs), Fleurever marks the next phase in Jazz Cartier’s evolution. As Jazz’s profile has grown to include features from prominent media like GQ, Billboard, Noisey, and Sway in the Morning, as well as endorsements from brands like Reebok, Nike, Roots, Atelier New Regime and Nordstrom, the influence Jazz has with his artistry is proving to be infinite.
With 16 tracks, the album has just one guest appearance in KTOE (on two tracks, “Right Now” and “VVS”). KTOE is also credited with song production along with WondaGurl, Cuebeatz, Lantz, DZL, Daniel Worthy, 4th Pyramid, and Krinny.
Stream Fleurever below via Spotify.
Fleurever Yours
Cartier also announced today that he will be celebrating the Fleurever release with a three-part concert series titled Fleurever Yours. These exclusive and intimate performances will take place in Los Angeles on August 9, Toronto on August 16 and New York on August 18. With only 100 tickets available for each date, fans will have to act fast to secure their spot. Tickets are now on-sale at JazzCartier.com.
Follow @JazzCartier on Instagram.
