Dear Chicago: Jahzel’s “The Wake Up”

The anticipation is over. After years of honing his craft and releasing three impressive mixtapes, Chicago-based MC, Jahzel, is boldly declaring his “arrival” with his latest LP, The Wake Up.

The Wake Up is Jahzel’s 10-page love letter to the city that raised him. Jahzel plays navigator as he takes the listener on a journey through both the complexities and simplicities of his life and the place that he has always called home, Chicago.

The journey begins with the mid-tempo title track and lead single (“The Wake Up”), setting the album’s theme and tone. As the album eases into “Who Is You,” it is evident that Jahzel has a story to tell; a story that unfolds as the LP progresses. Jahzel’s lyrical artistry gets personal with “John Stockton” and “Scriptures,” and even touches on social issues with “No Tissue No Tears” and “Seedlings.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQtdWIogcCQ

Jahzel almost effortlessly breezes through “The Vision,” “Crazy,” and “Trapt,”—leading into the album’s standout track, “Faithful,” a song that he says is “a tribute to Chicago.” Throughout the LP, Jahzel humbly conveys his message with clarity, creativity, and conviction. Whether the focus is on relationships, inner-city violence, self-identity, life goals, or survival, his music—while an extension of himself [Jahzel]—is also relatable for his audience.

If his previous mixtapes served as the preface, then The Wake Up LP is just chapter one of Jahzel’s carefully crafted novel. A statement album, The Wake Up is delivered over both gritty and soulful beats without being overly aggressive and in-your-face. The Wake Up is a breath of fresh air for true hip-hop heads—a solid piece of work and a welcomed relief from the redundancy that hip-hop has become. If this album is any indication of what is to come from this young MC, then you’ll definitely want to wake up for this journey.