Jelani Lateef
Cold Days and Dark Nights
(Manhood Ent.)

Chicago rapper Jelani Lateef is imparting a positive call-to-action through the 14 songs on his Cold Days and Dark Nights album. The album features single-note, electric guitar following his rap on “Action,” a Sylvester Stallone Rocky speech with a hard back beat on “Motivation,” and a Stylistics’-like floaty background and handclaps on “Look What You’ve Done.” The title track has the deepest beat (and lyrics) and heavy guitar chords; this one really moves. “Flashback” is a softer offering with a single synth line, a shuffling clap beat, and a very sweet lyric. I love the hard-hitting snare beat on “Manhood Talk” and the lyrics, which are about something quite different than we are used to with this genre. “Love Thing” is straight out of the 70’s with it’s groovy backbeat. “Gone” has more of that 70’s feel, a very neat, roiling bass (again we get into a good groove here) with a very strong rap (could be the best here from Jelani) moving the tune along. “Believe” is the culmination of the production here; the rap is solid and the songwriting is the best on the entire album, again with a heavy, take-charge-of-your-life message. Jelani Lateef’s Cold Days and Dark Nights is killer.