{"id":90280,"date":"2025-03-14T12:00:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=90280"},"modified":"2025-03-14T12:00:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T11:00:45","slug":"jelani-lateef-lets-us-know-he-cant-stop-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2025\/03\/jelani-lateef-lets-us-know-he-cant-stop-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Jelani Lateef Lets Us Know He &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The first of two tracks we present today from Jelani Lateef, &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217; takes a deep dive into his character and inspirations, what keeps him going. In spite of a number of hardships in his life, he&#8217;s never once given up, and with &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217; he takes a vow to keep going &#8211; to keep driving forward &#8211; even when the going and the road ahead gets tough, and others may fall by the wayside.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jelani Lateef has seen his work receive critical acclaim over the past 14 years through his career as a musician, producer, and CEO. His hip hop style, while presenting a street tough exterior, gives a voice to those going through the blue-collar grind, and brings a breath of fresh air to those in search of a meaningful life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Laid back, yet with a powerful melody, &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217; is absolutely lush with soul and spirit, as we take a look into what has made him the way he is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The music video for &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217; is shot on the streets of Chicago, with Jelani setting up a mic on the streets, and letting it all hang out. We also see clips of his niece, who dreams of being a star gymnast, going through her paces with the same sort of determination as her uncle. Despite some stumbles, she never gives up, the representation of Lateef&#8217;s words, \u201cSince I made it this far, I can\u2019t stop now.\u201d She picks herself up &#8211; just like her uncle Jelani &#8211; and gets going again. We can all learn from this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check out the music video for &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217; below, and find out more about Jelani Lateef and his music online on his official <a href=\"http:\/\/jelanilateefmusic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/jelanilateef.bandcamp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bandcamp<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/@JelaniLateefMusic?si=KddNwrRUSvNM6mb2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">YouTube<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JFuryfanpage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jelanilateefmusic\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@jelanilateefmusic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_54754\"  width=\"640\" height=\"360\"  data-origwidth=\"640\" data-origheight=\"360\"  data-relstop=\"1\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JGbvklGy834?enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/essentiallypop.com&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=1&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;color=red&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;rel=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"Jelani Lateef - Can&#039;t Stop Now (Official Music Video)\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/JGbvklGy834\/maxresdefault.jpg?w=640&#038;ssl=1\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first of two tracks we present today from Jelani Lateef, &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217; takes a deep dive into his character and inspirations, what keeps him going. In spite of a number of hardships in his life, he&#8217;s never once given up, and with &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217; he takes a vow to keep going &#8211; to keep driving forward &#8211; even when the going and the road ahead gets tough, and others may fall by the wayside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":90297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"The first of two tracks we present today from Jelani Lateef, 'Can't Stop Now' takes a deep dive into his character and inspirations, what keeps him going. In spite of a number of hardships in his life, he's never once given up, and with 'Can't Stop Now' he takes a vow to keep going - to keep driving forward - even when the going and the road ahead gets tough, and others may fall by the wayside.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"Jelani Lateef Lets Us Know He 'Can't Stop Now' ","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"The first of two tracks we present today from Jelani Lateef, 'Can't Stop Now' takes a deep dive into his character and inspirations, what keeps him going. In spite of a number of hardships in his life, he's never once given up, and with 'Can't Stop Now' he takes a vow to keep going - to keep driving","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,9,21453,21445,21446,21449,640],"tags":[31917,31915,11720,77,370,1945,116,10677,81,22992],"class_list":["post-90280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","category-new-releases","category-new-singles","category-reviews","category-single-reviews","category-video-reviews","category-videos","tag-cant-stop-now","tag-jelani-lateef","tag-lisa-hafey","tag-new-release","tag-new-single","tag-new-video","tag-review","tag-single-review","tag-video","tag-video-review"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5yMhl-nu8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":90279,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2025\/03\/chicago-hip-hop-powerhouse-jelani-lateef-soars-to-the-heavens-with-im-a-star\/","url_meta":{"origin":90280,"position":0},"title":"Chicago Hip Hop Powerhouse Jelani Lateef Soars To The Heavens With &#8216;I&#8217;m A Star&#8217;","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"14\/03\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Embodying perseverance and inspiration, Jelani Lateef infuses vulnerability and hope into his new release, 'I'm A Star'.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jelani-Lateef2.png?fit=1121%2C1187&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jelani-Lateef2.png?fit=1121%2C1187&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jelani-Lateef2.png?fit=1121%2C1187&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jelani-Lateef2.png?fit=1121%2C1187&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jelani-Lateef2.png?fit=1121%2C1187&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85413,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2024\/01\/jelani-lateef-returns-with-the-sharp-lyricism-of-show-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":90280,"position":1},"title":"Jelani Lateef Returns With The Sharp Lyricism Of &#8216;Show You&#8217;","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"25\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Jelani Lateef's second release today, 'Show You', sees him lay some more thoughtful lines, this time over a more soulful track.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85412,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2024\/01\/jelani-lateef-issues-a-decree-to-his-listeners-to-keep-aiming-for-the-prize-with-cant-stop-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":90280,"position":2},"title":"Jelani Lateef Issues A Decree To His Listeners To Keep Aiming For The Prize With &#8216;Can&#8217;t Stop Now&#8217;","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"25\/01\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Nobody's gonna block my shine\". Jelani Lateef utters this refrain in his inspirational hip hop track, 'Can't Stop Now', and it serves as a mantra not just to himself but also to his listeners.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Jelani-Lateef_Press-photo3125540-scaled.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43607,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2018\/12\/nick-andre-ft-the-gift-of-gab-lateef-the-truthspeaker-and-e-da-boss-turn-back\/","url_meta":{"origin":90280,"position":3},"title":"Nick Andre ft. the Gift Of Gab, Lateef The Truthspeaker, And E da Boss &#8211; &#8216;Turn Back&#8217;","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"10\/12\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"San Francisco based music producer, and co-founder of Slept On Records, Nick Andre has been producing music for the past decade and a half, and has worked with the likes of Gift Of Gab, Lateef The Truth Speaker (both of whom feature on this single), Bicasso, of Living Legends, Zion\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;New Releases&quot;","block_context":{"text":"New Releases","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/new-releases\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/5640.png?fit=776%2C776&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/5640.png?fit=776%2C776&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/5640.png?fit=776%2C776&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/5640.png?fit=776%2C776&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62604,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2020\/05\/nick-andre-is-joined-by-zion-i-lateef-the-truth-speaker-and-deuce-eclipse-on-new-single-snake-bite\/","url_meta":{"origin":90280,"position":4},"title":"Nick Andre Is Joined By Zion I, Lateef The Truth Speaker, And Deuce Eclipse On New Single, &#8216;Snake Bite&#8217;","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"29\/05\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Coming from San Francisco, Nick Andre has been producing music for the past decade and a half, and is the founder of Slept On Records. He's just finished producing the new Gift Of Gab (Blackalicious) album, set for release later this year. We've written about him a few times over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Nick-Andre.jpg?fit=400%2C400&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":59589,"url":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2020\/02\/nick-andre-the-mix-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":90280,"position":5},"title":"Nick Andre &#8211; &#8216;The Mix Up&#8217;","author":"Lisa Hafey","date":"03\/02\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"San Francisco musician and producer Nick Andre has been in the music business for more than a decade, and is co-founder, with Eric aka E da Boss (Myron & E, The Pendletons) of Slept On Records. Having produced the likes of Gift Of Gab, Lateef The Truth Speaker, and many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Music&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/category\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Nick-Andre.png?fit=496%2C498&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jelani-Lateef2.png?fit=1121%2C1187&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}