Author: jaylenkelley2019

My name is Jaylen Kelley. I am a Television and Film major, from Atlanta, GA. This website is a means of exposure of my content and interests.

Little Simz Making Big Changes to Current Rap Climate

From her stellar lyricism, to her calm confidence Little Simz is riding on a powerful new wave of hip-hop. The 24 year old rapper has separated herself from the pack with a talent groomed for over a decade. Her approach to the medium is breathing new life into the perceptions of female rap today.

Demonstrating a knack for the arts at an early age, her family invested heavily in her journey into all the elements of performance including music, dance, and theater. Her Nigerian roots are mixed with the influence of growing up in North London to create a wealth of cultural experience to shape her sound and expression of herself. After realizing her call to the stage wasn’t for the being a dancer as she initially thought, she began developing her skills as an emcee. In between releases of a series of mixtapes in her teens, she also was able to pursue and acting career. This all led up to 2015 when she released her first full scale project, A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons. Since its release, she has continued to explore her lyrics, storytelling, and imagery on her next album Stillness in Wonderland. With her third major project, GREY, set for release in early March 2019.

She maintains a consistent tour and recording cycle, having worked alongside artists like Gorillaz, Cleo Sol, Mahalia, Kehlani, and more. She hits the roads again after the release of her new album. Included in these dates is a feature show at Coachella in April 2019.

She challenges the common conceptions of female rappers today. With the progressive and powerful imagery of women in rap today, she has a fresh approach and regards herself and her writing as something that sets her apart from the pack. She has been featured with several platforms including the COLORS Show prominent on YouTube. The release of her last album is highly anticipated and she is a breath of fresh air in the game.

 

From Behind the Boards to Breakout Star – Maleek Berry

Maleek Berry got his start like a lot of performers, producing tracks and writing songs. This was all years before he ever considered himself an artist, let alone a talent strong enough to launch a solo career. Though he spent some time away in the UK, Nigerian bred Berry got a seal of approval from some heavy hitters in the game including Davido and Wiz Kid. He credits them both for getting his career to the point it has reached now. All starting with his single titled For My People ft. Sneakbo in 2017.

 

maleek berry

With the goal in mind of spreading the African sound profile around the world, he draws on all of his inspirations to create a sound that combines his South London accent, afro beats, and pop music’s appeal. Grounded in his Nigerian roots, but enamored with the ways of the world he found himself being moved (literally) by artists of many different backgrounds. Starting with who he commonly highlights as his earliest musical influence, Michael Jackson. The King of Pop pushed him to exploring and embracing the nuances of music. Aside from the mainstream music he listened to, his traditional family kept him in touch with the sounds of his people. During his time at school he also go in touch with the sounds New York rappers and dancehall. This all eventually led him to studying the foundations of making music, and developing a sound of his own.

He continues to make beats for other artists and now releases his own music that tells the stories he is passionate about. With a calm cool demeanor he delivers tracks that make you want to dance and enjoy a night out with friends.

He works to balance message and the music when delivering his music to the people. He continues to develop his sound and is working to establish himself as a voice not only in Nigeria, but the greater world community.

His newest single Love U Long Time is available now on streaming services: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/doing-u-single/1445062621