JHAMEEL
BY| BRITNEY GRASMAN
PHOTO COURTESY OF| JHAMEEL
PRINCE OF POP
| | J HA M E E L
J
20
NEWSOUNDMAGAZINE.COM
hameel is musically independent and
seems to be living his life by the same
standards. From his appearance, to his sound,
the avant-garde, Cali-based artist is untraditional,
far from typical and we can’t take our eyes (or
our ears) off of him.
With four complete works under his belt,
including his ten-track “Human Condition,” and
his latest, five-song, “Are You Free,” Jhameel is
eclectically paving his own road through music
town.
It’s hard to describe an artist with so much
versatility- although funky, quirky, stylish and cool
are a start; He’s often compared to his inspiration,
the late Michael Jackson, but modestly admits he
has “a lot of work before [he] can live up that
name.“ Understandable. Michael Jackson was,
after all, the “King of Pop.” We are definitely
seeing the comparison.
Jhameel is an all-around entertainer, from his
energetic dance moves to his style.
He often dons a painted face and a single
earing in his music videos and pictures.
When asked about the artistry, he explains,
“It’s a way to exaggerate the concept behind
my image, which is balanced asymmetry. I’m
in love with the idea that something can be
asymmetrical but sort of symmetrical at the same
time through balance and taste. The face paint
adds an element to the photography that fulfills
that concept.”
Um…what?
Let’s break this down. Outwardly, the
unusual pairing of earing’s and face-paint is an
asymmetrical, or unusual, duo. The delicateness
of an earing, however, balances the ruggedness
of warrior-inspired face paint, making symmetry
through counterbalancing meanings.
Ah, got it.
Jhameel has also exemplified this balance
within his music. Shut Up, from his 2011 “Dance
EP,” is electrifying, and dance-worthy. The pop
song is fun, yet angry. He screams passionately
and he sings gently. A combination of vocals
and instrumentals catapulted Shut Up to the top
of “The Hype Machine’s” charts.
Later in the same year, Waves from the five
track series “Waves” also reached #2 on “The
Hype Machine’s” charts, and another song from