Watch Jelani Blackman set the party off at Mixmag x Magnum by Trojan’s Gold Sessions
Watch Jelani’s gold-standard performance below
Mixmag teamed up with Magnum by Trojan to showcase two of London’s finest rappers, Unknown T and Jelani Blackman. The event, titled Gold Sessions, celebrates the launch of Magnum by Trojan, Trojan's Large Size, gold-wrapped condoms.
This year Jelani has popped up all over Europe and performed his debut at Glastonbury. Collaborating with the likes of Gorillaz, Brian Eno, Burna Boy and Wolf Alice, Jelani has the ability to melt his vocals into multiple genres, while his bars span topics such as racism and systemic inequality to having fun with your mates on a night out. The Ladbroke Grove artist is coming up as a new great in London’s scene, with tracks including ‘Hello’ and ‘Gone Freestyle’ from his 2021 album ‘Unlimited’ adding his name to the list of almighty grime and UK rap artists.
At the first-ever event of the Gold Sessions series, Jelani's dominant voice took charge of the room, drawing in the crowd around him. Performing tracks such as his self-produced ‘Cold’, his cheeky smirk and pacey flow whipped up the crowd from his first bar. ‘Gone Freestyle’ proved a peak, with Jelani jumping around and lighting a fire in the room. Written back in lockdown, it vents his frustration towards the UK government, and that passion translated into energising the room. But there's also room for saluting the good times, as he raised a cup to the surrounding audience before powering into ‘Cheers’, before the bouncy riff of ‘Bubblin’’ is complemented by his speedy bars and a catchy chorus that got the surrounding audience vibing.
Watch Jelani Blackman’s at Mixmag and Magnum by Trojan’s Gold Sessions below.