Meet Rapper, Ego Jaleel
The passion for rap music began at a young age for this artist, and ever since, Ego Jaleel has been making a name for himself in the music industry. An entertainer, creator, and rap artist, Jaleel has set a tone for himself that fans can enjoy. The hip-hop artist was born and raised in Chicago’s Southside, near 43rd St. It is a tough city, and Jaleel has shown the dedication to achieve what he wants.
“With it being a tough city, you got to grind for sure,” Jaleel said. “You got to put that work in, and clearly, that is the case everywhere, but Chicago just they watch out for fakes and frauds all the time.”
Jaleel is confident in what he sets for himself in life and expresses his feelings through his music. A mix of childhood experiences and ways of life have shaped this rapper into who he is today. His grandparents adopted him due to the many struggles he faced from his mother. Even still, he ‘would not trade their trials and tribulations for anything.’
“Definitely like my mom, for sure,” he commented. “She dealt with addiction while I was young or whatever the case may be. And, of course, clearly, that’s bad. But I kind of wouldn’t trade that for nothing, because, like you said, it shaped me to the person am today.”
‘Inspiring, clever, and fun’
Fans are inclined to like Jaleel’s lyrics and, with his comfortability to vocalize his feelings, show him to be a true artist. With his latest single, “Compadres,” the rapper had an easy time coming up with the idea and nevertheless created a song that he wrote from real-life experiences.
“So typically, that’s kind of how it goes in my relationships,” he says. “We have an understanding, and then that understanding gets skewed due to feelings that grow. I’m typically stuck telling them let’s just be friends, be compadres.”
Jaleel uses his platform to teach and inform others through his music. “I’m an artist for me,” he said. “Personally, I learned a lot from artists. Like, I learned a lot from the people I was listening to while I was growing up. Even now, I’m 30 now. But when I listen to something, I expect to learn something or whatever the case may be. And that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.”
The rapper’s sound can be described as a cross between hip-hop and R&B that he blends with his musicality that is easy to enjoy. From his songs like “Vet” and “Black Card,” fans better understand what the rapper calls a ‘vibe check.’ With artists like Drake and Kanye West, Jaleel has formed the confidence he genuinely portrays in every song.
“My name is Ego, and I don’t want it to come up like, oh, yeah, it is just so cocky,” he said. “But no, I do have confidence about myself…You should be confident if you are not confident in yourself, how to f*** anybody else be confident in you.”
Inspirations That Keep Him Going
Jaleel opens up about inspiration being a big motivation, and that anything is possible. The artist released his first single and video, “View,” which showcased a literal depiction of him moving into a new space of his dreams. The song celebrates his rise to the top and ultimately shows his hustle.
“I am on my way,” Jaleel said. “I have always kind of struggled with consistency. I have always had to deal with real life, but now I am focused and consistent to yeah eventually get on top and be on top, musically and mainstream wise.”
As the rapper continues to be better than his next hit single, the minor setbacks push him to work harder and be the best version of himself. As he stays true to his roots, this artist encourages others not to be afraid to try.
“Do not let the possible outcome of not deceiving stop you from actually trying because you will never know if you truly succeed,” he says.
Jaleel gives listeners music that they can relate to and vibe to at the same time. He does a great way of tying real-life experiences in his raps. It begins to create a sense of realness that many do not expect from rappers in the game.
“If you can write about real life, you rarely run out of stuff,” the rapper said. Ego Jaleel wants to inspire as well as inform.
‘Roses do grow through concrete’
With hopes to headline festivals and accomplish a million streams, Ego Jaleel has created big dreams for himself. He knows that he is more than capable of achieving those dreams. Every day he continues to push the boundaries and be different with his music. Most importantly, fans will soon find out what this artist is all about.
Life has been challenging for the artist, and Jaleel has not let that stop him but pushed him to succeed better than ever.
“It has been hard, but it has been fun,” he said. “It has been beneficial, it has been insightful, and it is going places bigger than I could even imagine, that I could even dream, then I could even think of. Roses do grow through concrete.”
