Do you like hip-hop on any level whatsoever? If the answer is yes, then you need to add all things Jelani Lateef to your collection. This Chicago based rapper has pulled all the stops out for the master class level Cold Days and Dark Nights. With a high level of production and a lyrical style all his own, Jelani Lateef is set to make some serious waves in the industry in 2016.
Opening with the instantly catchy and summer feeling track No Fear, the album sets the inspirational pace while backed by some Dre-style beats and meaningful, intelligent, lyrics. In a genre saturated with dumbed down lyrics without depth, it is a great victory for any hip-hop artist to stay true to their honest roots.
Following in the impressive tracks of No Fear is the beautifully mixed track titled Dreams. This is one of those songs that sounds great on a home stereo but sounds epic in a car with some high end speakers. I know Jelani is from Chicago, but this track deserves to be played driving down the roads of California in the summer, it just sounds like that particular vibe to me. All in all, a great single worthy track.
Forward Advance sums up all the parts that make this album a great project. It is a mix of old school flow and new school theory. For many, this will become the track they listen to a few times in a row, and the one they will share with their friends first, just a great track al around.
The album as a whole is not exactly genre breaking, but it doesn’t need to be either. While so many other hip-hop artists focus solely on trying to create club tracks without depth and intelligence, it is a breath of fresh air to see artists like Jelani Lateef, artists that choose to stay true to their inner vision of the art they want to create, and because of this, we get great albums like Cold Days and Dark Nights.
8/10
