Vision is a well put together album, but that’s about the best thing I can say about it. Jern Eye has been rapping for a while as a member of the Dilated Peoples-like Lunar Heights, and this album continues that vision. Illmind leads the way with four beats, ranging from the orchestral “Beautiful” to the Aftermath-like “The Difference”. Everybody’s favorite producer Jake One supplies three typically consistent and hard-knocking beats, while blogger darlings and labelmates Keelay & Zaire hand over two backdrops. I was a little underwhelmed with Ridin’ High, but in smaller doses K&Z have two of the more interesting productions on the album.

Things are a little rougher with the unknowns, though – Jern Eye, Cali Agents and Aristotle teamed up with DJ Swift Rock to cook up “Burnin’”, a song that would have been better off ghostwritten for Fabolous. The track’s dull hook isn’t a rare occurence, either. “Seasoned” is a beat that sounds like Freeway did Jern Eye a favor by not wanting to rap over it, but the track leaves you waiting patiently for a Nightclubber Lang verse that doesn’t stand out from any particular Nightclubber Lang verse. But at least when Lang – or other guests like Guilty Simpson and newcomer J-Billion – get on the microphone the beats seem to come to life a little. The guests are probably right at this album’s maximum capacity, but Jern Eye’s mic presence leaves Vision dangerously close to sounding like a showcase for his production lineup, and in turn the features that remind me this album’s about the rappers first.

Not that it’s all bad for Jern Eye. Keelay & Zaire, who featured him on their own debut, hand him a more basic ’80s style beat for “Get Down”, and he seems much more comfortable in a loose barbecue style atmosphere. But he only sounds so natural two other times on the album – another ’80s throwback, only this time with a new wave lean (“Pleasure of Love”), and the title track “Vision”. Unfortunately, in the same way that “Beautiful” sounds too much like Skyzoo’s “Beautiful Decay” (an unhappy accident, but still something that affects the record for me) “Vision” sounds too much like Common’s “Drivin’ Me Wild”. If Jern Eye’s other tracks were more singular, perhaps it wouldn’t be worth noting but on an album where Jern struggles to retain dominance of his collaborators it’s a shame a few of his more recognizable moments come on the heels of others. I don’t mean to be down on Jern Eye, but I can’t help but wonder how interesting this album would be without Illmind, Jake One, et al. What more can I say?