Chicago is referred to at times by one of its
historic nicknames, The City of Big Shoulders.
With regards to hip-hop, it takes on a greater
meaning through the efforts of its MC’s both
highly known and on the rise. In the latter
category, one name has set out to let his
message and music travel far. Jelani Lateef
has been steadily making his voice heard
around Chi-Town, a voice that delivers like
a fastball from a pitcher’s glove. This has led
to him releasing a slew of mixtapes and putting
a stamp on performances throughout his city.
Lateef’s lyrics are uplifting, motivational as they put
you in a good frame of mind. On the first single
for his upcoming album My Soul To Keep, the
message is loud and clear in detailing the need
for a stronger community that will shun violence
as a way of life. It can be summed up succinctly
in the last two lines of the hook:
Where your soldiers, let’s ride
‘Cause you’re the one who’s ready to die
This same combination of sharp lyricism laid
over clean and fulfilling beat production comes
up again with ‘In The Game Now’ as Jelani
gives us a track that values mind over the
fecal matter prized out on the streets. Both
singles serve to illustrate one thing: Jelani
Lateef is more than able to live up to his city’s
nickanme and bear the weight of giving a
spirited message through his music. My Soul
To Keep will be availble on August 18th.
http://jelanilateef.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/JFuryfanpage
https://twitter.com/jaylateef
http://www.mtv.com/artists/jelani-lateef/