Subversively to its title, IAMJALEO’s sophomore alt-hip hop single, Soul Food, throws you into an old-school melancholic orchestral score before the gruff distorted verses allow you to peek behind the curtain into a schizophrenic mind and a life that is rife with systematic injustice.
The intensity of Soul Food isn’t easy to swallow, but the sombre result of the dark rap bars meeting the emotionally heightened instrumentals is a testament to the up-and-coming artist’s talent as a songwriter. That is something that artists can go ten albums without creating, but pretty much straight off the bat, the DC-born, Maryland-raised artist proved his capacity for evocatively striking art. He’s definitely one to watch.
Soul Food is now available to stream on Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast