Jhameel - Lion's Den

In what is probably the most "produced" video Jhameel has put out, he has created a world of emotion and thoughtfullness without even really trying.  Generous, honest, giving.  These are all words that describe the man behind the music.  Jhameel is one of the hardest working indie artists around and yet he hasn't reached the level of notoriety someone of his talent should be at (or at least I think he should be far more famous than he is).  This is the lead single off his Kickstarted latest album and it's a hell of a way to kick off the party.  The album releases May 7, 2014 and it can't get here quickly enough.

Jhameel - Fiesty

I've decided to take this blog in a bit of a different direction.  From now on, my posts aren't going to be about quantity.  It's going to be about inspiration.  I only want to write about artists that inspire me.  That being said, if you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know what a fan of Jhameel I've become.  He just had a successful kickstarter for his next project and I was one of the first backers ponying up my cash to make sure he succeeded.  So as a tease/fantastic marketing move, he's released the first video from the album and it's Jhameel doing what he does best.  Be himself.  It's a fantastic song and it's got a bit more of an urban feel, I mean since he is rapping in it but damn he does a helluva job doing it.  It's sexy and it's easy and you just slip into it and let him do his thing.  He's probably the best artist in the past 5 years that you don't know about.  Trust me.  I know what I'm talking about.  He's amazing.  You're doing yourself a disservice by not being a fan.

Jhameel - Shadow of a Man

This is the reason that music exists.  This song so eloquently describes the human condition in a mere 3:47.  There is a message, there is purpose.  But it doesn't preach.  Yes, it is a song about decisions and whether or not the ones being made are the best for everyone concerned but it's so much more than the moral at the end of the After School Special.  It's art.  It's evokes emotion and it makes you feel.  Jhameel has done that for me since day one of becoming a fan.  He makes transcendent experiences that take you out of the world for a piece and bring you back as something more than you were.

This song came from his Are You Free adventure and was one of my favorite songs from that set of tracks.  It's actually super hard to announce one favorite song because he is simply amazing.  The song on it's own is brilliant and the added visuals from the video take it to the next logical step and create something more than the sum.  I hope that you can watch this video and get a sense of what he is trying to accomplish with this track.

Jhameel - Are You Free

Are you serious?  As a writer, it shocks and astounds me when a track renders me speechless.  When I listen to this song, I almost have no words to describe it.  I don't know if it hits very very close to home but it has caused a very visceral reaction in me.  This track is why I love music.  It honestly has shaken me to the core and for that I have to thank Jhameel.



From the seven second mark, this track just goes on attack.  It is so freaking HUGE.  Jhameel's vocals are so powerful and commanding.  He posted on Facebook, "I put a particular amount of heart and effort into the lyrics, so I hope you enjoy". And you can hear every bit of that in his delivery.  This is the track that makes you stop everything you are doing and just get mesmerized.  I immediately had to just surrender to it and let it take over.  I know I'm swooning a bit but it's wholly deserved.

If you don't have some reaction to this song, then I think it's safe to say you're pretty much a robot.  I've now listened to it repeatedly for the past 20 minutes and this song needs to be so gigantic so you should share it with everyone you know.  On top of everything else... it's free.  He's giving it away for free.  Jhameel is a prince among men and I don't know why he isn't on top of every chart there is.

"Are You Free" by Jhameel

let's take a cold hard look at yourself
are you the man you fought to be
are you strong strong enough to face yourself
proud enough to let pride go and yell
are you free

let's take a cold hard look at yourself
look at the dreams you said you'd reach
were you wrong wrong enough to face yourself
man enough to fuck pride stand and yell
are you free

and everything i said
i would be
and everything i said
i would see
are you feeling like a prisoner
are you living life the way you want
giving time to ones you love
are you giving time to who you are

Get this track NOW.

Jhameel - White Lie

To say that Jhameel is his own man is an understatement. I think that not only is he his own man, he's the man that most men actually wish they were. His outward persona is one that is so comfortable in his own skin that it really doesn't matter one bit what anyone could ever think about him.  This video appears to be shot from the point of view of the women in Jhameel's life as he burns through his "White Lie".  This is one of my favorite songs because of it's carefree nature and he is able to capture that beautifully in the video.  I love how the video seems to be super organic and nothing is really planned.  The choreography isn't anything more than the music running through him and it looks like he just moved as he wanted too.

I think that everyone should be a fan of Jhameel because of how unconventional he is and the passion he puts into all of his music.  He deserves to be a mega star and I can't wait until he is.

Hoodie Allen (featuring Jhameel) - No Faith in Brooklyn

There seems to be a new breed of hip hop artist emerging in the mainstream. So many independent emcees are finding their way onto the pop culture radar and they are bringing with them a set of skills that can't be taught. They are honed from years of rhyming to pay the bills and put money on the table. They are the "Outasights" and the "K.flays" and the "Kreayshawns". They are young, gifted and battle tested. They have lyrics that aren't driven by autotune and they aren't rapping about stereotypical ghetto gangsta shit. They bring a message and a meaning all built upon a mastery of language and experience.

I was honored today to run across this track because it had Jhameel attached to it. Enter Hoodie Allen, a New York based rapper that has a new album dropping today. There are so many other artists that are building their fan base by creating mix tapes and releasing them as free downloads on their respective websites and Hoodie has done the same. He currently has 2 available for download, Pep Rally and Leap Year. Both are full length albums so you get an amazing sample of his music and what he can do. Then when you are done with those, slip on over to iTunes and buy All American, his new album.

So lets talk "No Faith in Brooklyn". I said that it took Jhameel to get me there but it was all Hoodie that made me stay. When the song starts, you hear Jhameel bring it in with his smooth vocal stylings but shortly after is just a showcase of the amazing talent Hoodie has. This track is very radio friendly and has the potential to do a tremendous amount of good for him as an artist. The lyrics are catchy and the rhymes are hot. His style reminds me a bit of Childish Gambino, the way he is able to paint a picture and just give you visuals is top notch. He should be huge and should be blowing up charts everywhere. I can't wait to hear more from him and support him as he continues to grow and mature as an artist.

Hoodie on the Web

http://hoodieallen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoodieallen
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/wearehoodie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HOODIEALLEN

Jhameel - Waves (Track by Track)

Waves was a conceptual project Jhameel created to get more of his music out to the world.  For five weeks he released a new track.  Each track seemingly couldn't be better than the last but it was.  He collected all the tracks on one volume and released it for free on his website (where it is still available for download) and he had a limited number of CDs pressed that could be purchased with his autograph.  What option did I take?  The physical copy so that I could support his art.  And I have said it before, what he does is art.  The sounds are so rich and lush.  The arrangements are gigantic and playful and his voice is so charismatic you are immediately swept up and taken on an amazing journey that you don't want to end.

The first track on the CD is "Collision" and you are assaulted with wave after wave of pure funk awesomeness. This song is just so big and it blows my mind to hear every piece of it and how it all comes together as something so ambitious and so relevant.  This song is the mayor of Funkytown and all other citizens in the town are happy to do it's bidding.

If "Collision" showcases how Jhameel can mesmerize you with his audio trickery, then "White Lies" is flow hypnotism that shows his mastery over rhythm and breath control and takes all the frenetic energy that was stored up and focuses it into a laser pointed edge that makes your head bob along with an ease and carefree abandon.  The content of the songs are deceptive because he gets you hooked with his amazing skills and then you come back and listen to the lyrics and you're like, "Oh Damn!"  Not only has he entertained you, he has given you things to think about.

"Waves" conjures just that, a mental image of the tides being pulled and pushed by nature.  The song is organic and doesn't force anything on you.  You just get caught up in the propelling movement of the song and before you know it, you're knee deep in it.  It's an easy song that just carries you along to the next destination.  DO NOT misunderstand, I am not saying this song is lacking substance.  It's not, it is breathy and deep and is as strong as the force of nature it invokes.

Next stop is a dirty, grungy, electro-pop pit stop in the song, "Wicked".  It doesn't matter what elements he works with, he is able to work magic.  Electric guitars and synthesizers bow to his will just as easy as a cello or a piano.  The composition of this song is raw and edgy and has some danger woven through the lyrics and arrangement.

If "Wicked" is the climax of our journey then "Pursuit of Glory" is quite easily the denouement.  We have had a grand adventure and now it's time to bring everything together and draw our story to a close.  It's an easy song that just feels right and helps to settle us in.

This man has quickly become one of my favorite artists and it's all because you can see where he is coming from and you can feel his point of view.  It's impossible not to and for someone to have such faith in the work they are sending out into the universe, I can only thank them profusely because they are making something that will last well on into the annals of history.

Support this man so that he can continue to produce this art.  It's important because like all good art, it invokes feelings and makes you realize that you are in fact part of something larger than yourself.

Introducing Jhameel

Ephemeral, airy, elemental, primal.  These are just a few descriptors to adequately classify the music that Jhameel creates.  It's like mercury in your hand as he slips and moves from one song to another.  A crash of cymbals or a thundering piano solo, this music is so different than anything else you've listened to.  It has an organic quality that allows it to be what you need and what you want in that explicit moment in time.

I ordered his entire discography off his website because it's amazing music and he deserves to be supported.  I can't say enough how cool the two albums (His Self Titled Album and The Human Condition) I've received so far are. (I haven't received the third because it's not been released yet ^_^).  His voice is so distinctive with a quiet power that at any minute could just shift and become something full of power and resonance.  At some times his music is strictly art and lives in a place where it transcends musical boundaries and fully embraces the avant garde and at other times it can touch you in places totally unexpected.  I am glad I have had the opportunity to get to know Jhameel's music and I can't wait until his next project so that I can be more inspired by him.

He's done a series of covers on youtube and I chose his cover of T-Pain's "Buy You a Drink" because I think it is an amazing showcase of his talent.  His story is pretty amazing to read, transforming from a very conservative Christian into an Indie Pop Star all by the way of a US Army Scholarship to Berkeley.  So excited to have another new artist I can listen to, especially one that helps me challenge what I believe in.