Jelani Lateef

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you-you can’t do something. You gotta dream, you gotta protect it.” Sound familiar? That’s because they’re the poignant words of Will Smith in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’; and, incidentally, the overriding theme of consciousness and positivity peppered throughout Chicago-based rapper Jelani Lateef’s latest project, ‘Cold Days and Dark Nights’. Like the film’s sagacious protagonist, Lateef endured a life-changing event in 2010 when the mother of his daughter died of cancer, leaving him as a single parent. Since, he has made a remarkable recovery, forming his own production company, Manhood Ent., and releasing three acclaimed albums through tears, self-motivation and toil. This spunky 16-track album pays testament to the maxim of the law of attraction in a creative way.

Combining thought-provoking narratives based on personal experiences with sharp wordplay and poeticism. ‘Cold Days and Dark Nights’ are an extension of Lateef’s substantial outreach work away from the studios inspiring men and women of all ages to lead positive existences in the face of difficult circumstances. As an artist who has personally suffered an incredible loss himself, Jelani Lateef presents a heady combination of anger, sadness, hope and contentment through his coarse vocals.

Adhering to a modern convention of hip-hop and rap music, ‘Cold Days and Dark Nights’ makes full use of the gamut of digital audio modules available on the market. There were once notable benefits to this, particularly the practically unfettered control of synthesis types, but technology has evolved to allow musicians to tweak and enhance the sound of even acoustic instruments nowadays. Still, the access to imitation instrumentation and ease of use makes synthesisers unrivalled amongst budding musicians and DIY musicians like Lateef, who personally created his own compositions in his own studios.

As a result, Lateef has patterned his songs with heavy, mechanised drums and deep basslines that compliment and accentuate the hard-hitting themes and forthright delivery of his songwriting. His sound exudes grittiness – a choice designed to stir the adrenalin and motivate all to “protect a dream” or “take the hits” of life’s travails as implored by the album’s Rocky Balboa interlude.
Occasionally though, songs like ‘Look What You Done’, ‘How it Feels’ and ‘Flashback’ adopt a softer, smoother approach whilst still expressing morals, life experiences and cautionary tales. This leads to lighter instrumentation and a more soulful touch. The tinny, punchy elements of Lateef’s work are replaced by dulcet leads and carefully selected samples from classic songs.