Since he never quite left the indie rap scene, it may be surprising to hear that Jel’s third proper solo LP (Late Pass) is his first in seven years. And yet here we are, trying to decode all the chords and cues in Late Pass like it’s a scavenger hunt made entirely of MPC samples.
“The title came from how I was just late in delivering a third album and how motherfuckers are late onto me,” explains the Anticon vet, who’s also known for his work with Deep Puddle Dynamics, Subtle, Themselves and 13 & God. “It represents where I’m at right now. I’m not falling the fuck off. I’m not getting super large. I’m doing my thing.”
In the case of “Look Up,” that attitude involves sneak attack synths, rough drum rolls and intercepted vocals that are reflected in the single’s Adèle Miossec video, which seems to be strung together by nothing but chance encounters and wandering eyes…
