REVIEW | ‘WHATEVER IT IS’ BY TONY BONES THE PRODUCER, JACKSON B, AND AKS CHANNELS NOSTALGIA WITH A FRESH TWIST

By Rishma • On Reviews

As anti­cip­a­tion builds for their col­lab­or­at­ive pro­ject, Tony Bones The Pro­du­cer and Jack­son B join forces with British/Nigerian lyr­i­cist AKS on the single “Whatever It Is” a track that suc­cess­fully mar­ries 90s hip-hop nos­tal­gia with a sharp, mod­ern touch.

From the out­set, “Whatever It Is” hooks listen­ers with its boom-bap found­a­tion and rich live instru­ment­a­tion. Tony Bones, known for his knack for time­less, soul-infused beats, chan­nels the jazz, funk, and hip-hop essence of the golden era to cre­ate a pro­duc­tion that’s both groovy and warmly famil­i­ar. His beats evoke memor­ies of hip-hop giants like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest while push­ing into today’s son­ic land­scape. It’s clear that Tony’s ded­ic­a­tion to blend­ing old-school depth with con­tem­por­ary flair is pay­ing off.

Elev­at­ing the track fur­ther is Jack­son B, a multi-tal­en­ted musi­cian whose sax­o­phone con­tri­bu­tions and jazz-inspired key­board riffs add an organ­ic, tex­tured feel. His impro­visa­tion­al skill recalls legendary jazz influ­ences, provid­ing a soph­ist­ic­ated lay­er that makes the track stand out. The seam­less integ­ra­tion of his live instru­ment­a­tion with Tony’s pro­duc­tion forms a dynam­ic back­drop that enriches the listen­ing experience.

Tak­ing cen­ter stage, AKS shines as the lyr­i­cist of the trio. Known for his reflect­ive, motiv­a­tion­al storytelling, AKS deliv­ers verses that explore resi­li­ence, per­son­al growth, and embra­cing one’s unique path. His skill­ful word­play bal­ances intro­spect­ive themes with uplift­ing tones, draw­ing listen­ers into a nar­rat­ive that res­on­ates on both emo­tion­al and intel­lec­tu­al levels. AKS’s abil­ity to infuse thought-pro­vok­ing con­tent with catchy, sing-along moments shows his evol­u­tion as an artist and adds depth to the record.

“Whatever It Is” is more than a nod to hip-hop’s roots; it’s a declar­a­tion that the genre’s essence con­tin­ues to evolve without los­ing its heart­beat. This song bridges gen­er­a­tions, appeal­ing to seasoned hip-hop lov­ers while invit­ing new­er fans to appre­ci­ate its leg­acy. The syn­ergy between Tony Bones’ nos­tal­gic-yet-mod­ern pro­duc­tion, Jack­son B’s vibrant instru­ment­a­tion, and AKS’s poet­ic deliv­ery cul­min­ates in a track that feels both famil­i­ar and refresh­ingly innovative.

Avail­able for stream­ing on all major plat­forms, “Whatever It Is” is not just a teas­er but a prom­ise of what’s to come in Tony Bones and Jack­son B’s upcom­ing joint pro­ject. Addi­tion­ally, it marks a sig­ni­fic­ant entry in AKS’s “Depar­tures & Arrivals: As Plane as Day” pro­ject, sig­nal­ing the con­clu­sion of his “Modes of Trans­port” series. Togeth­er, these artists remind us that hip-hop’s soul is alive and well, poised to cap­tiv­ate old and new audi­ences alike with time­less, mean­ing­ful music.

Listen HERE

For more info fol­low AKS on Ins­tagram: @AKSonline

The fol­low­ing two tabs change con­tent below.
My Facebook profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Instagram profile

Rishma

Edit­or / PR Con­sult­ant at No Bounds
Rishma Dhali­w­al has extens­ive exper­i­ence study­ing and work­ing in the music and media industry. Hav­ing writ­ten a thes­is on how Hip Hop acts as a social move­ment, she has spent years research­ing and con­nect­ing with artists who use the art form as a tool for bring­ing a voice to the voiceless.

About Rishma

Rishma Dhaliwal has extensive experience studying and working in the music and media industry. Having written a thesis on how Hip Hop acts as a social movement, she has spent years researching and connecting with artists who use the art form as a tool for bringing a voice to the voiceless.