| Raheem Jamal - Boombox: Album Review |
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| Written by Michelle Cavanaugh | ||||
 Raheem Jamal has worked with Boston’s top notch hip-hop groups Project Move on the LP Love Gone Wrong/Butterfly Theory and on Electric Company’s Life’s A Struggle. Both were underground hits and had a global cult following in Japan and Europe. Now with his solo debut album, Boombox, Jamal teams up with producer Raydar Ellis to revitalize the Boston sound.
Jamal’s uplifting lyrics are backed with Ellis’ jazzy beats, track after track. On “When?,” “Goodvibe” featuring Project Move, and “Live It Up” Jamal emphasizes living a simple, happy life. What makes his music different from other artists, is his ability to shine and evoke a positive attitude on some of life’s most turbulent struggles. “Not The One” and “Never Be Afraid” stand testament of the rise and fall of love and relationship. In “Act Right” Jamal chants:
It’s symbolic, it’s sunshine through the dark clouds/ I’m here to rock crowds/ They love my artistic style/ Shedding beauty on this hellish life.” Massachusetts has been the breeding ground for backpack-rappers since the 90’s, with acts like Gang Starr, Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, Ed O.G., and The Perceptionists. Underground hip-hop fans have been overwhelmed with the amount of talent coming out of Beantown for one reason only; it all sounds exactly the same. Hopefully, Boombox will be the official introduction to the NEXT school of backpack-rap. Download: When?, Goodvibe, Never Be Afraid, Act Right
To purchase CDs, click on the cover art or title link. To legally download, click on the iTunes logo. If you do not have iTunes, you can download it here by clicking the "download iTunes" logo above. |
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