Boulevards

Jamil Rashad channels funk spanning the 1960s to the 1980s through his project Boulevards, pulling inspiration from James Brown, Funkadelic, Al Green, and Rick James. The Raleigh native initially emphasized glossy post-disco R&B on his first two albums, Groove! (2016) and Hurtown, USA (2017), before shifting toward grittier deep soul on Yadig! (2019) and then embracing broader, Southern-infused sounds with Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud (2022) and Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road (2024). His lyrics range across topics such as straightforward good times, addiction and recovery, and racism.

Born to a Philly-born jazz radio DJ, Rashad absorbed diverse styles from his parents’ wide-ranging record collection. During his teenage years he began crafting rap verses and frequenting punk, metal, and hardcore performances. Following high school he enrolled in art school and joined multiple bands, only to circle back to his affinity for funk, disco, and ’80s house music. Teaming with Captured Tracks and producers Isaac Gálvez and Taste Nasa, he issued a self-titled EP in 2015. The following year brought Boulevards’ debut full-length Groove!, which included the singles “Cold Call” and “Up on Your Love.” Rashad self-released Hurtown, USA in 2017, sharpening his approach to refined, pop-tinged synth funk. Two years afterward he delivered Yadig!, a raw yet driving collection crafted alongside songwriter/producer Russell Manning. He next enlisted Blake Rhein of Durand Jones & the Indications and Colin Croom of Twin Peaks for Electric Cowboy: Born in Carolina Mud, released in 2022 via Normaltown Records, a New West subsidiary. In 2024 Rashad returned with Carolina Funk: Barn Burner on Tobacco Road, an album that more closely mirrors the intensity of his stage performances.