Jazmine Sullivan's 'Heaux Tales EP' - Soulful Spit

Six spoken-word interludes are the stars of Jazmine Sullivan's 'Heaux Tales' EP, each serving as backdrops for one or two tracks that, respectively, tackle love, lust, infidelity and self-respect while completing a mostly pleasant constellation of R&B and soul.

Minimalistic synths and rhythmic claps drive the strong opener of 'Bodies-Intro' as Sullivan pleasantly self-reflects as she recounts waking up after supposedly a night of excessive drinking. Anxiety skyrockets within her as she worries about her mother being disappointed 'if she knew about what happened. Additionally, she also shows concern for whoever took her home. Was it a friend or a friend of a friend? Was it a he or she? If it was a he, was he a 'four or a ten'? Eventually, Sullivan admits she needs to 'get it together', as this has not been the first time.

Following 'Antoinette's Tale', the first of six spoken-word interludes throughout the EP, 'Pick Up Your Feelings' continues the theme of 'Antoinette's Tale', mainly of sexuality and self-respect, in the form of a break-up anthem. Over a rhythmically percussion-driven instrumental, Sullivan is pleasingly sassy in her delivery as she catches her former love interest 'double-dipping' and flips the script on him.  Hence, Sullivan makes her peace as her former love interest can 'run them streets'. As a result, 'Pick Up Your Feelings' corresponds to Antoinette's perception of men's ego is too fragile 'to handle a woman who owns and has any real agency over her body.'

Continuing with the subject of sexuality, 'Heaux Tales' reaches its most lustful chapter with 'Ari's Interlude.'  Here, Ari Lennox humorously narrates a time of intimacy with a particular character implied to be polarising. A polarising character that Ari Lennox was 'willing to ruin her career for.' 'Ari's Interlude' forms itself as a fitting backdrop for the following couple of tracks 'Put It Down' and 'Spit On It.' 'Put It Down' is lustful fun as Sullivan delivers catchy verses and chorus over nightlife-flavoured keys, crunching percussion and hi-hats. While 'Spit On It' is a sweetly slow and seductive duet between Sullivan and Ari Lennox armed with a groovy, spacey bassline.

Sullivan's first venture into materialism begins at 'Donna's Tale'. In this interlude, Donna Anderson introduces the practice of 'tricking', where someone feels the need to maintain a relationship with a love interest is through gifting despite any present financial limitations. The action of 'Tricking' is soothingly critiqued in the following Anderson Paak featured 'Price Tags.' Over a satisfyingly minimalistic instrumental, Sullivan, the trickster, is entertainingly monotone in her delivery. She is getting 'hunnids in her hand' as she unapologetically 'trick' her love interest. Paak stars as the tricked. His flow is smooth as he humorously exposes the trickster, from 'spending for her nursing classes but now she wants to be a makeup artist'  to 'taking all the credit cards from his wallet', Paak does not hesitate to threaten to call the cops.

In 'Rashida's Tale',  Rashida Northington recounts her fault of infidelity and regret. The following 'Lost One' couples well with Rashida's Tale, expanding on the feelings of guilt after being unfaithful.  Sullivan is angelic over beautiful acoustics as she understands that 'it's too late to make amends.

Returning to materialism in 'Precious' Tale', Precious explains how she prefers men who thrive and hustle more than those that do not have money. Reasons like events from her childhood and her 'self-worth.' 'The Other Side', which follows this interlude, seemingly mocks Precious by forming a caricature of her. This caricature thinks that her hardships, such as working at a job she dislikes or struggling to pay rent,  can be solved by moving to Atlanta and finding a rapper. She hopes 'these titties' can take her to the city. However, in the end, she asks, 'so where's my millionaire.' While catchy, Sullivan expresses delusion and cluelessness well over an uplifting instrumental. The uplifting instrumental is fitting as it further conveys the foolishness of the ridiculous ideas that the caricature has thought of to escape her hardships.

'Amanda's Tale', narrated by Amanda Henderson, focuses on insecurities within relationships. For Amanda, she finds herself comparing herself to girls on Instagram and feels worth. The only time where she does find worth is through sex. Yet it is depressing when who she is, is just not enough. In the concluding 'Girl Like Me', both Sullivan and H.E.R extend on Amanda's Tale. In Sullivan's verse, she finds herself judging her 'body' as she continues to ponder on why her former love interest broke up with her. H.E.R. feels she need to wear 'Fashion Nova dresses' like the girls on Instagram described in the previous interlude to impress. In the end, both artists criticise the toxicity of their former lovers. Despite hurting them to 'their core', their former lovers fail to take responsibility for the pain they cause when they ask why are Sullivan and H.E.R mad. Sonically, 'Girl Like Me' is somewhat disappointing as a conclusion. The acoustic bassline is pleasing, while Sullivan's verse felt like a pleasant throwback to early 2000s R&B. However, the track does drag on with H.E.R.'s inclusion within the track's end being vocally excessive.

'Heaux Tales' brought upon a unique practice of utilising spoken-word interludes to showcase perceptions of love, lust, and materialism and executed it finely. Sullivan delivers compelling critiques on each interlude with her songs, doing so blissfully with her vocal performance and production decisions.

8.5/10

Favourite Track(s): On It, The Other Side, Price Tags, Bodies - Intro.