Jelani Blackman

Jelani Blackman is a diverse rapper and singer, set to take the music industry by storm. Born and raised in London, growing up Jelani was heavily influenced by soul and RnB but grew up at a time when Grime was everywhere. This mix of musical influence comes through in his music, blending hard and softness, […]

Jelani Blackman is a diverse rapper and singer, set to take the music industry by storm. Born and raised in London, growing up Jelani was heavily influenced by soul and RnB but grew up at a time when Grime was everywhere. This mix of musical influence comes through in his music, blending hard and softness, dark and light.

Working with artists from Brian Eno to Burna Boy, Wolf Alice to Abra Cadabra, Jelani is able to bring about the hype but at the same time, display the reality of being a young black male living in inner city London. His voice holds a very distinctive deep gravel tone creating a raw edge to his music but if you listen carefully, his songs often have a rich, resonating lyrical content. His music brings about fun but also raw truth and a profound vulnerability.

His first EP ‘1-4’ marked Jelani out as a one to watch. Twisted after-dark anthem ‘Twenty//Three’, racked up nearly 4 million streams on Spotify and garnered support from influencers across the board. Then came the captivating collaboration with ascendant production duo Sylas and ambient god Brian Eno on ‘Layer’. Last year, Jelani released his fiery EP ‘Lockjaw’, excelling at a variety of genres and styles, drawing from R&B and grime to create his instantly recognisable sound. The EP features acclaimed singles ‘Lockjaw’ and ‘Go Low’.

With just a few singles being released this year, Jelani has already been highly praised and garnered support from the likes of; Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, DJ Target, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC Introducing, Hypebeast, Notion, Trench, GRM Daily and Link Up TV, to name a few.

November 1st will mark the drop of his long awaited EP, Average Joe. The new EP will bring about a new perspective to Jelani’s musical ability showcasing a strong body of work including 2019 hit releases; Nobody’s Son, Brixton and Cheers.