JELEEL!

JELEEL! knows how to grab your attention. It’s not that the he intentionally seeks out this attention, but that his live performances tend to force their way onto everyone’s timeline the morning after each show. Between his high energy performances, superhero-like acrobatics, and one of a kind of sound, JELEEL! has been trailblazing his way as perhaps the most exciting upcoming performer in hip-hop. Following his debut album REAL RAW!, JELEEL is coming to europre with a string of headline shows to give everyone the real raw experience they have seen cascading online. 

 

Though JELEEL! has been percolating in the independent music landscape since 2019, he skyrocketed to fame with 2022 single “DIVE IN!,” which captures the breathless catharsis of punk and rap. The track features JELEEL! screaming bars with the force of a hardcore vocalist over pounding percussion as electronics whirr and buzz menacingly in the background with annihilating power. 

 

JELEEL! was born in Rhode Island to Nigerian immigrant parents who frequently pressed their son to become a doctor, lawyer, or some other occupation that would provide steady income and security. But JELEEL! was hellbent on a different path, one he began developing as a teenager, where he dictated life on his own terms and created a vision blending art, athleticism, and celebrity charisma. “I had a vision and I had the brand,” he recalls. “I didn’t have a plan, though, because I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I had that drive.” 

 

Part of JELEEL!’s emphasis with the new project was to showcase his versatility and artistry as both a lyricist and a crafter of inimitable hooks. He shows off his ability to conjure up memorable melodies, making each track feel carefully considered, but still electric, impulsive, and carefree. Though the work feels detailed and specific, JELEEL! has never been a planner, instead following his muse wherever it may take him. “Music is flow. Music shouldn’t be overthought; it should just be created,” he says. “People should just understand it. Just let artists create, and let the creative choose what they really want to say.” It’s this perspective, combined with JELEEL!’s ability to churn out insanely catchy, often complex songs, which has made the record feel like a fully formed studio masterpiece that highlights the unrelenting energy he brings to everything. 

 

JELEEL! gives his all to everything, which might seem exhausting to many, but he truly doesn’t know any other way. He attributes this character trait to a few things: “Trial and error—practicing—is key to my ability to figure out what works best,” he says. But JELEEL! also knows from all those hours in the gym that you need to get in the reps to improve at anything. “If I keep doing something again and again and again, I’ll get better at it. You just got to push through. That’s how you give 100 percent. As long as you’re doing your best, that’s all that matters,” he explains, before adding, “I always do my best. Every performance, even if it’s two people, I’m going to perform and give my entire being to those people.”

 

14.09.2023