Promising female rap artist, Sami Seal, makes an impressive debut with her first project, The Jungle Tape. Through the course of 8 songs, she manages to tell a story about the jungles she faces in her life: from her arrival into Los Angeles, tracing her nights starting in the hood and ending up at a upscale Hollywood shindig in “The Jungle”; to her struggle for equality within the music industry in “Man Cub;” to lover woes and alcohol abuse in “King Louie” and “Lost;” up to broader scales of racial oppression in “Jungle Beat [Interlude]” and “Be Free;” and closing with an almost-alarming peek into her mental struggles in “LIFE” and “Baloo.” Skits from The Jungle Book movie provide a nostalgic, intelligent parallel between characters in the movie and topics in her songs.
If you had to pick one track to listen to, we suggest “Be Free.” Just as turmoil is rising in Baltimore due to the death of Freddie Gray, Sami provides us with this relevant tale showcasing the thoughts and emotions from both sides of the issue: speaking first as a young African-American male and then as a law enforcement officer. Her rendition is powerful, soulful, chilling and thought-provoking.
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