Rayhan Jabbar is a guy from Scarborough, Toronto. Fans know him as a rapper, actor, and sketch comedian. And now, he’s dropped his debut album: “uLove: Rayhan’s Version.” This is the first part of his upcoming trilogy, which he hasn’t even named yet. Why “Rayhan’s Version”? Because it’s a raw, unfiltered musical narrative – full of highs and lows, wild mixes, and imagery that gives you chills. He wanted the album to sound like an old wooden roller coaster – rough, loud, scary, and exhilarating. And he pulled it off. The central theme of “uLove: Rayhan’s Version” is love in its different forms – the kind everyone’s searching for when they’re 20. It’s about heartbreak, healing, addiction, sex, gangs, and trying to understand yourself in the middle of the chaos. Nothing sounds standard here: Rayhan blends hip-hop, jazz, pop, and a strange but awesome kind of electronic music basically everything he grew up on. The album features 11 tracks with a total runtime of just 22 minutes 56 seconds.
The album opens with the dark “Broken Heart Intro”, a short track that captures the essence of the whole project. It smoothly leads into the first single “No Tomorrow”, and it hits hard. It’s bold, loud, and carries the energy of a world where tomorrow truly might not come. The track was produced by ILoveYouApollo, and the beat hits you right in the chest smooth, but at times it spirals out, like a night drive with no brakes. But you know what really grabs you? Rayhan himself. At first, he sounds confident and cool, then suddenly soft and vulnerable. “No Tomorrow” is a song about that moment when, after crying it all out, you finally delete your ex from your life and step into the world shining, fiery, and unshakable.
And as a natural continuation of that power comes “Cold”, bold like a gunshot, cold like the streets at night, when words freeze on your lips and feelings hide under your hood. In this track, Rayhan speaks his truth, honestly. The beat is rough, the flow is direct, it all reflects the inner ice built up from betrayals, from indifference, both inside and out on the streets. But underneath that armor, something still lives, and that’s where “RUNNING FROM LOVE” comes in. A runaway with the GPS turned off, this track is about the desire to open up and the fear of being hurt again, because you already know too well how it could end. The layered vocals sound like a conversation with himself, and the guitar groove feels like a heartbeat in the dark, when your thoughts run faster than your steps.
And when emotions spiral out of control “FREAK HOES” begins: mystical and with no brakes, this track is like a long, unbroken gaze that you can’t escape from. The sound is hypnotic, like walking into a room where anything is possible and no one asks unnecessary questions. It’s an exploration of the moment when the mind shuts off and feelings reach their peak – a truth that’s hard to put into words. And that kind of revelation becomes the track “New Reflections Interlude”, a genre blend of R&B, hip-hop, and jazz fusion from Rayhan and SCEJAYTRACKS. This track is a dedication to those who stay underrated but keep moving toward recognition. A story about the right person who came at the wrong time. The intimate lyrics speak of reflections, confessions, and a touch of nostalgia. And that’s just one of the album’s moments.
There are plenty of tracks here with character real life in sound. Take “Bands On My Lonely”, for example, its beat may be soulful, but the lyrics cut straight through. It’s about those who rise alone, armed only with pain and truth. Or the lighter “Untitled Love”, its melodies feel like a breath of fresh air after a heavy night. With saxophone sections and bright guitar riffs, it’s about the feeling that lives inside a melody. The darker “FIRE ALIVE” delivers a calculated challenge. There’s no room for illusion: the streets rumble with bass like war trumpets, and the melodies and sound effects feel like a warning. This isn’t a dystopia of the future – it’s already here, right outside our windows. Past and future collide, and music becomes the only weapon – the flame inside it keeps you afloat even as the world falls apart.
And then, with that tension, comes the explosion: “G SHOCK”, pure adrenaline. The track pulses like a heartbeat, its surging sound made for those who live on edge where time ticks like a bomb. Its rhythm is for those who stay sharp under pressure. And then everything freezes. The final track, “Sincerely Yours Freestyle”, is honest, confident, with no masks or filters. It’s the last word before the silence – a voice carrying the entire road traveled. Like a handshake through headphones, Jabbar seems to say to the listener: “If you made it with me to this track – thank you. That means you’re real too.”
I’m sure that Rayhan is currently in search of a new kind of language one that can hold street beats, jazz inflections, pop melancholy, and digital abstraction all at once. His debut album “uLove: Rayhan’s Version” speaks in multiple dialects of culture, but it does so cohesively, confidently, warmly, and boldly. Rayhan’s album is for those who are ready to listen deeply, to feel, and to be surprised. It leaves an aftertaste complex, slightly bitter, but incredibly real. We can’t wait for the next two albums in the trilogy.
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