Jelani Blackman today unveils his latest single ‘Hello’, continuing what’s been a prolific month for the West London rapper and singer. August has seen him release arguably his most personal track to date in ‘Tricky’, rack up over 450k Youtube views in two weeks for his performances on the esteemed COLORS Sessions, and be announced as featuring on a track with Ghetts for the forthcoming Fraser T Smith album 12 Questions.
‘Hello’ is Jelani at his slickest; flow effortlessly sliding from conversational to confrontational over a stripped-back, infectious and typically bass-heavy beat from producer Tom Stafford.
“Hello is about making an impression of who I am and also an introduction to my life. It just flowed when we were making it. The energy, lyrics and sound all feels to me like what has been at the heart of my music from the very beginning,” Jelani explains.
Heavily influenced by r&b and soul, yet coming up at a time when Grime was everywhere; Jelani’s sound swerves stereotypes, blending the hard with the soft, the dark with the light; reflected in an impressively diverse rollcall of collaborators that spans from Brian Eno to Burna Boy and Wolf Alice to Big Zuu.
Having picked up a lofty list of supporters for 2019’s Average Joe EP, including the likes of Annie Mac, DJ Target, Rickie and Melvin, Maya Jama, The Fader, Complex, Dummy, Nick Grimshaw and The Line of Best Fit, things look ready to go to the next level for one of the most exciting and distinctive voices in the UK scene.
