Junglepussy’s debut full length album Pregnant with Success has me questioning everything in my life. Not in a, “Why am I not releasing a bomb ass second album?” way but more like, are the men in my life worthy of my time? Am I treating myself right? Why is my diet so trash? Am I chasing my vision or someone else’s? Does JP really take that many Uber’s? It also made me see music videos, something I haven’t done in a while. Instead of a review I’m going to write three short treatments for my three favorite songs from the album.
“Somebody” produced by Shy Guy and Matt Parad
Fade in of Junglepussy singing this song atop a red grand baby piano. The time period is 1940’s black excellence. Her look is very Dorothy Dandridge, floor length gowns and long gloves. She’s performing to a crowded club of sophisticated cats, and jazzy dames. There is a tall mysterious figure in the back of the club, that catches her eye. She finishes her set to a standing ovation, she goes to the dressing room and finds red roses on her vanity, with a card attached. In the card, someone drew two eye emojis and then signed “-Somebody." She smells the flowers, smiles and looks at herself in the mirror.
“Pop for You” produced by Shy Guy
We open with varying women in different settings: the kitchen, the nail salon, the movies, the gym all mouthing the chorus, “This pussy don’t pop for you...no more”. The women are all mouthing the words to their trifling boyfriends. It’s very “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago. We cut to Junglepussy rapping as she sits in front of the TV on the couch with her boyfriend. He’s falling asleep as JP talks, the glare from the TV shining on their faces. She tells him about himself as he continues to literally fall asleep on her. We hear a horn honk in the background, it’s JP’s new boo in a drop top Corvette with a tiger in the backseat. He’s on his way to take her to the zoo. JP jumps out the window and lands in his arms. They zoom off into the distance, as Junglepussy twerks out the front seat window.
“Get it Right”/ “Get to Stepping” produced by Shy Guy
Junglepussy is the leader of a drag race club in Tokyo. It’s the big race and JP is at the auto shop making sure her ride is tricked out with everything she needs to win. Her car is some cool sick shit, like a spaceship or something. She revs her engine up and rides off to the cut off highway where they’re holding the race. The song changes to “Get to Stepping." JP gets to the race, but her car starts acting funny. We see the mechanic from earlier talking to JP’s opposition. She’s been set up! Just as panic starts to set in, JP remembers her cousin is a mechanic, so she calls her up. Her mechanic cousin makes it just in time to fix the car. The race starts, and the opposition is pretty close, and it seems as if JP won’t win, she even sweat a little, then remembers she has “Jungle Juice”. She drinks some and gains some speed, crosses the finishing line and wins.
Junglepussy is always putting on for ambitious black girls who think highly of themselves. Hilarious and honest, this album makes me wish I could roll up and make brunch with JP as we trade war stories. And by war stories, I mean stories about dick. Pregnant with Success is an ode to the female experience, especially those with an abundance of melanin, a nostalgia for the early 2000’s, a love for island vibes and an affinity for spiritually.
Nia Hampton is a writer and filmmaker based in Baltimore. Buy her ebooks!