Jamal

Philadelphia native Jamal launched his recording career as one half of the adolescent rap duo Illegal, an East Coast/West Coast pairing that also featured Snoop Dogg’s young cousin Lil Malik and originated from a side project helmed by Atlanta rap mogul Dallas Austin. Although the pair drew frequent comparisons to Atlanta’s other child rap act Kriss Kross, Illegal stayed rooted in hardcore rap and routinely took verbal aim at the Kross members on record. Their debut album The Untold Truth appeared in fall 1993 and met with only tepid response. After the duo disbanded in 1994, the more gifted member Mally G quickly linked up with Erick Sermon and the Def Squad. Late 1995 brought Jamal’s first solo project Last Chance, No Breaks, buoyed by the supple, heavily funky beats supplied by the Green Eyed Bandit. His pistol-whipping lyrics traced a clear shift from boyhood to adulthood on the microphone, securing respect as a hardcore lyricist despite his youth. Standout cuts included the singles “Fades ’Em All” and “Unfukwittable,” while additional heat came from the polished funk supplied by producers E-Double, Redman, and Easy Mo Bee. Fellow funk enthusiasts Redman, Keith Murray, and Sir Nose himself, George Clinton, all made guest appearances. Jamal maintained ties to the Def Squad collective, contributing to projects such as the 1998 release El Nino.