Juicy J has made a career out of blindsiding listeners, whether it’s taking crunk to the clubs in the late ’90s or steering Southern rap into the mainstream. But even by his own unpredictable standards, a straight-faced jazz album still feels like a plot twist. The real kicker? This isn’t even his first one. Last year’s Ravenite Social Club quietly marked his entry into the genre, and since then, the Three 6 Mafia OG has been on a wild creative sprint—dropping three full-length projects in just 63 days.

On Caught Up In This Illusion, J takes a step back from the mic, appearing on only four of the album’s 12 tracks. Instead, buttery horn lines, velvet bass grooves, and intricate keys do most of the talking, giving the project an easy, smoke-hazed flow. His standout vocal turn comes on “Can’t Take That Away From Me,” where he flexes unexpected range without abandoning his Memphis grit. But the real story here is his role as curator and producer, piecing together a cast of players who can move between moods with painterly precision.

The lineup is stacked: Snarky Puppy’s Cory Henry, hometown sax savant Kenneth Whalum, powerhouse vocalist Nia Drummond, and Roots icon Black Thought all leave their fingerprints. Rising bassist Endea Owens, co-credited across the album, stitches it all together with a rhythmic through-line that keeps the record grounded even when the arrangements wander into dream territory.

Caught Up In This Illusion doesn’t play like a novelty side quest, it’s a fully realized body of work from an artist willing to leap genres without losing himself. Juicy J may have built his legacy on making bangers, but here, he proves he can conjure something just as intoxicating from a dimly lit lounge. And just like the title promises, it’s hard not to get caught up in it.