Jameel Mason knows that Queens walk among us every day, and we need to recognise their struggles, and honour their courage and achievements in whatever way we can. His latest single, ‘Black Queens’, was released during Women’s History Month, and is a heartfelt tribute, delivered with poetic verse over a soulful beat that is both old-skool and contemporary at the same time.
Mason is quick with a one-liner and a dab hand with a punchline, and he’s also equally adept at developing his thoughts on complete, sharply-written verses. ‘Black Queens’ follows on from the moody ‘Quarantine Miami’, which saw him collaborate with R&B singer Alix Ford. Additionally, his spring 2020 single, ‘Jersday’ saw him express his fierce regional pride, and he left no question about where he’s from and exactly what that New Jersey license plate means.
In contrast to the video for ‘Quarantine Miami, which cast Mason in the role of the lover man, and a local lord in the clip for ‘Jersday’, we see him sharing screen time with a stunning procession of black women determined to assert their own autonomy. Women in the workplace, women in the gymnasium, women standing tall on the streets and pushing kids on the swings of a city park, and a young girl who Mason is training to box. Sure, his guidance is helpful. But he knows – and you know – she’ll soon learn to punch on her own.
Watch the video for ‘Black Queens’, and find out more about Jameel Mason on his website.
