Manny King John
It is one of our dreams, but we rarely remember the setbacks or understand the journey to get there. For example, Michael Jordan is [hands down] the top five when you are thinking about the best basketball players of all time. He cemented his place in history with six NBA Championship rings. But many forget until Scottie Pippen arrived, Michael Jordan didn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs. He didn’t make the playoffs a couple of those years. Jordan applied the lessons that he learned from these losses, which gave him the motivation to become a champion. Hakeem Eli’juwon experienced wins and losses of his own along the way of creating his latest single.
Hakeem Elj’juwon is an artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma who has made a name for himself; standing as tall as the basketball player he is named after. The same formulae that created a hall of fame career in basketball are now translating to the Rap industry. Skill, work-ethic, and competitiveness have been the driving forces in his growing popularity and has captured the attention of not only his peers but radio stations and record labels are calling now. Thus, Eli’juwon may become the next artist from Tulsa with acclimated mainstream success.
Sometimes, you have to let the beat build. It is the case, as the piano starts to become the centre block of the beat. As the tempo slowly builds, Hakeem Eli’juwon goes into a two-bar line that sounds similar to Young Dolph. Likening to Young Dolph, Hakeem is a storyteller who experienced the lines he spits, first-hand. All of his lyrics are freeze-frames that he seems to package and deliver to his audience. Adding to his skills as a storyteller, the use of metaphors and wordplay stand out most on the track; timing of the words in the verse. His syncopation with the drum kick punctuates is impeccable.
Hakeem makes sure to tell both sides of the story. His wins, as well as his losses. But through it all, Hakeem Eli’juwon holds his head up to celebrate. As the chorus comes in, it’s clear to see that the champagne is not just for more wins or more life. It is for a celebration: That Keem is home.
Ankle monitors won’t hold us down,
Eating sugar will,
Never had no record deal,
All my niggas trap and deal,
Check out Hakeem Eli’juwoon’s latest single, ‘Keem Home’.
