In the aftermath of a tragic event, an individual either shuts down completely or works hard to become even stronger than before. Rising artist, Jelani Lateef, chose the latter route and channeled the death of his daughter’s mother into creative fuel for a new company called Manhood Entertainment & an impressive new album – “Cold Days and Dark Nights.”
The project unfolds with a snippet of the Will Smith film, “The Pursuit of Happyness.” We hear the actor giving a pep talk to his son as Will’s rousing lecture concludes with the declaration, “You want something, go get it! Period!” The emcee uses those words of inspiration as a launch pad into “Action.” The powerful track serves as Jelani’s mission statement of promoting knowledge & positivity to the Hip Hop masses. He espouses the belief that greatness can be achieved with hard work. The lyricist also cautions the youth to be aware of the various “traps” in society threatening to destroy them. The next track, “Book Of Life,” finds Jelani in a struggle for his very soul. The lyricist details the many temptations of the industry that can destroy a career…and a life! He succumbed to a few unsavory desires in the past, but now possesses the discipline to rise above! It’s a gripping tale that reinforces the “Dark Nights” segment of the album title. You would think that we would get a chance to catch our breath after that, but the “Motivation” interlude pumps us up again with a different film sound bite encouraging the listeners to keep going after we “take the hits” life has dealt us.
“I’m A Star” sends another message of self-empowerment over a driving beat blanketed in triumphant keyboard synth rhythms while “Look What You Done” slows down the pace so the artist can reflect on a past love. The chorus borrows lines from LL Cool J’s classic “I Need Love” to enhance the proceedings. “How It Feels” utilizes a Notorious B.I.G. sample from “Everyday Struggle” to great effect. Jelani spins an instantly relatable tale of an unemployed father to be who must figure out how to provide for his child. Minimum wage won’t cut it & the beckoning call of the streets will only lead to prison or an early demise. The entire structure of the song is flawless and up to this point it is the strongest cut on the album. The title track, “Cold Days and Dark Nights,” soon follows with more worthy lyrics of dedication and achievement. A harder-edged beat and occasional guitar stab enter the mix to shake things up.
“The Lyrical” is pure Hip Hop at its finest. Jelani flows over a beat that would make DJ Premier do a double take while DJ HasH turns in exceptional work on the 1 & 2’s. If there’s any track on the album listeners will keep on repeat, it’s this one! “Flashback”(Cold Days Mix)is a funky, mellow joint complemented by smooth keyboard work and finger snaps. The song revolves around a woman in an abusive relationship who meets an untimely end. It’s unfortunate subject matter we’re hearing way too much about these days. The emcee executes his story with both sensitivity and skill. “What It Is” is a track for true underground heads & selective Hip Hop connoisseurs. We’re treated to more aggressive flows over a hypnotic head-nodding beat. It’s a nice break before we get into the seriousness of “Manhood Talk.” Despite the subject matter, the cut still KICKS without sacrificing the boom-bap!
“Love Thing” showcases a funky, futuristic groove as Jelani rhymes about a fling who wants more from the artist than he’s willing to give. “Can’t Stop Now” is almost a mantra(“Nobody’s gonna block my shine, that’s a vow”)for success. The understated production works extremely well for this cut. “Gone” applies a sped up vocal sample to a soulful track that details a crumbling relationship…”The love is gone.” The song is yet another stand out gem from an album filled with them. ” The final track completely flips the script musically. Elements of Spanish rhythms and melodies are included in the production as Jelani Lateef’s “Cold Days and Hard Nights” convinces us all to “Believe.”
– Kevin Keith
https://soundcloud.com/manhood-ent/sets/cold-days-and-dark-nights-full-album
