For the latest instalment of our ongoing event series with West London’s storied Metropolis Studios, we invited Jelani Blackman down to Studio A in June.
The set, in association with Ellesse, offered fans the opportunity to witness an intimate performance with the rapidly-rising star on a sweaty summer’s eve.
A long time Clash favourite, Jelani has established his genre transcendent style through his now iconic COLORS Session, and his celebrated 2021 ‘Unlimited’ mixtape – as well as a list of collaborators that include Gorillaz, Wolf Alice, Brian Eno and Burna Boy.
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Ahead of the show, Goldie Quaker sat down with Jelani in Metropolis’ mixing suite to catch up with the genre-melding lyricist for an update on new music, style and memorable performances.
“I’ve only recently transitioned from only wearing trackies, I hate jeans!” Admitted Jelani, casually sporting a quarter-zip track top from Ellesse. “They’re the worst of both worlds. They’re tight and uncomfortable, but also not smart enough for you to be really smart. I don’t back them, I never have.”
Despite the heat, Jelani anticipated getting into the packed out performance room. “I love being able to see people’s faces, and get into the vibes,” he explained. “It is hot, so I’m interested to see how people deal with it!”
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With new music on the horizon, Jelani is currently preparing for his ‘Live & Direct’ headline show at Fabric on 28th July, which sees him playing alongside a hand-selected line-up that includes Tiggs Da Author, Sam Gellaitry, Lauren Faith, Mushkilla and Frozemode. If you missed out on Clash Live at Metropolis Studios, or want to relive the experience, you can still get tickets for his Fabriclive here.
Photography: Sam Rockman
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