Living in Philadelphia, Jneiro Jarel befriended King Britt, Bahamdia, and other local musical artists. But his music really didn't owe all that much to conventional hip hop influences - on the Dr. Who Dat? project, Jarel created instrumental works with a woozy, narcotic atmosphere, if anything recalling the music of instrumental hip hop veterans like DJ Shadow, as well as newer artists like Heralds of Change.
With a penchant for EQ tweaking and futuristic samples, Jarel truly stood apart within the hip hop scene.
It was his collaboration with Goodie Mob MC Kuhjo, though, that really propelled him as an artist. As Willie Isz, the two created visionary hip hop which matched, and surpassed, what Kuhjo's former bandmates were able to achieve.
The beats ranged from techno-influenced, to chill and soulful, to even introducing traditional folk music on one track. With a varied and innovative set of work already under his belt, clearly Jneiro Jarel is just getting warmed up, no matter where he is or what he calls himself.
