Ascending multi-faceted artist Khaleel Mandel isn’t one who overwhelms listeners with a flood
of new music. In fact it’s quite the contrary since Khaleel leaned more towards a lengthy hiatus.
The mystery of whether or not he’ll release another album remains to be solved; But the blinds
have opened in front of a window of hope glaring its natural sunlight, as Khaleel blessed the
public with a surprise single on July 14th 2021. On first listen it’s automatically blatant that
‘Birdies Chirp’ masters the element of unpredictability, as it leads us to a world of a musician far
ahead of his time. The 26 year old starts the song off stating he’s “rising to the occasions” with a
raspy synth bass-line accompanying right before the instrumental takes a complete left turn into
some of the funkiest production you’ll probably come across this year.

In an age where tensions are at an all time high, Khaleel reels chaos in on the hook rapping “I’m
optimistic because birdies chirp”. It’s such a straightforward line that gives people no choice but
to remember whatever problems you’re facing at any given moment, the birds will always
remain present speaking their own language. Khaleel Mandel’s compendium leads with being a
success act without any major label backing him — And on this song’s first verse he presents a
very poignant outlook on the industry asking “What if the rap game were like the days where
John Brown was funding”. Even with such wise lyrics, ‘Birdies Chirp’ is an anthem you can’t
help but get up and dance to. A science that’s very much expected from Khaleel at this juncture
of his career.

Following a magnificent rap verse with a plenitude of original flows, Khaleel awes with a sung
performance showcasing his broad range’s vocal skills. While said second verse is an example of
Khaleel’s ability to serenade a crowd, lyrically he serves a gust of mental strength singing “I
can’t wait for us to laugh last / I know a fraud truce when I see one like Osceola”. It is not
foreign territory for Khaleel Mandel to display the variance of his rapping vs. singing, but very
seldom has he combined the two on one record. Midway through we are introduced to an
innovative soulful breakdown containing a plucking guitar melody leading the charge. Although
he is still in relative obscurity, Khaleel discloses his position in music history as he continues to
defy the industry’s odds against him — “ Top 100 I manifested / Put the game in a chokehold
they got some nerve calling me aggressive”. The pragmatic MC is about as believable as they
come and ‘Birdies Chirp’ isn’t just a message to fellow musicians, but anyone who dares to
declare themselves a barrier for Khaleel. The third verse of ‘Birdies Chirp’ certainly puts his
contemporaries on notice because if they were already intimidated by him, they will continue to
be.

As a composer — Khaleel Mandel’s production is among some of the most important producers’
work Hip Hop has birthed, because it’s nearly impossible to parallel his beats to anyone else.
After a state-of-the-art instrumental break Khaleel precociously transitions to a piano
composition where he ends the song with another sung passage — “ You don’t bring sand to a
beach / Or a sandstorm”. The entire opus of ‘Birdies Chirp’ features a lot of introspection, force & a confidence in Khaleel that is of a novel elevated regime. If I were to give ‘Birdies Chirp’ a
star rating it would sit at 5 stars. Six years into a very promising legacy, Khaleel Mandel’s power
will be tough to avoid in the decades ahead.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/birdies-chirp-single/1575900057

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