We’re living in some of the weirdest of times right now. Phrases like “social distancing” and words like “quarantine” have become daily vocabulary choices. Life is basically paused to some degree for everyone in Washington right now. We’re all getting creative with ways to stay productive, creative, and social while we’re stuck in our homes. While the highlights of our weeks may only consist of weed store runs and grocery shopping, we all have plenty of time to catch up on content. Rasheed Jamal is an artist you need to start paying attention to if you’ve been sleeping on him thus far. If you missed his latest album Messiah Complex last September, it’s just another insane example of the untapped talent the Pacific Northwest boasts.
This is Rasheed Jamal’s sixth full-length project and you can tell the hard work is paying off. The writing and skillful delivery piqued my interest from the first track. If I’m bobbing my head while I’m thinking about the lyrical content and message of the song, that’s the tell of a great MC. Messiah Complex is a deep portrait of Jamal’s life with beat choices that reflect the West Coast’s soul.
I haven’t been able to keep “Bumpin’ U.G.k” off repeat since it first popped off in my Apple Music. But do yourself a favor and listen to this album from beginning to end, it’s not like you have anything else to do while you’re social distancing and quarantining.
