Pop-rap doesn't get much more pop than it does in the hands of
Jake Miller, a rapper/singer with a style that's influenced as much by
John Mayer as it is by
Macklemore. Collaborations with
Snoop Dogg and
Mac Miller, plus his own online uploads, thrust him into the mainstream, and with the
Lion Heart EP, he makes his not so rocky start toward a mainstream career. "First Flight Home" and "Party in the Penthouse" are light, fluffy, and infectious while "Dazed and Confused," with
Travie McCoy, is quirky and charming, but five songs and out means this one is short and sweet, emphasis on both. ~ David Jeffries