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JELEEL!’s new single, “GNARLY!,” is a playful and hard-hitting sneak peak into the rapper’s upcoming debut album, REAL RAW!, featuring a standout verse from Armani White.

The track is cleverly spacious, letting every subtle hit of the bass or switch in the beat strike with a guttural depth. It offers a refreshing contrast to JELEEL!’s previous single, “RIDE THE WAVE!,” which leaned more into melodic guitar loops and buildable percussion. “GNARLY!” is a bit of a musical blank slate, letting JELEEL!’s personality come through as an instrumental component in the track’s energy.

There are tongue-in-cheek moments scattered throughout the vocal performance that are charming and conversational, spoken in a teasing tone that you can’t help but imitate. Then, JELEEL! raises the intensity, adding an edge of a growl to his voice, shifting the song’s vibe without changing the arrangement at all.

“GNARLY! is one of those ones that just came together effortlessly,” shares JELEEL! “After the session, I ran into Armani White at a party and ended up showing him the song, and just a day or two after that he sent his verse and we turned it in. I'm excited for people to hear it as I haven't really shown my rap flow as much and it's definitely a side of me that people are going to hear a lot more of.”

White’s verse cuts through with an accelerated melodic rhythm that pushes us smoothly through the end of “GNARLY!”. He offsets the steady pursuit of the track with striking triplets and juxtaposed moments of space, letting listeners really enjoy the familiar hook when it comes back around for its final spin.

“GNARLY!” is a venture for JELEEL!’s sound, with elements of alternative peeking through in the production and his clean vocal delivery. This collaboration with White is an exciting glimpse into the rapper’s one of many potential untapped futures.

Listen to "GNARLY!" below: