About the Artist

With the rise of young artists in the music industry, Nashville’s own Itz Jaleel has been taking the industry head on.

Born Andrew Jaleel Cunningham (known to most as Jaleel); Jaleel was raised in a household that exuded nothing but RnB and Hip Hop playing which led him to discover a passion for music and lyrics.

While in middle school Jaleel discovered a love for reading poetry. After finding inspiration from poets such as Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, and W.E.B Du Bois, Jaleel unknowingly decided to follow the path of Tupac Shakur and start to write his own poetry, which would later serve as a major influence to his hip hop lyrics and passion for giving back to the community.

In 2017, while still in high school, Jaleel released a few of his songs on Soundcloud for fun. What began as writing lyrics as a form of self-therapy soon became an outlet that Jaleel used as inspiration to keep himself off of the streets. His first official single released on DSP’s in 2018 was titled “Fam First”.

After graduating high school Jaleel enrolled at Tennessee State University in Nashville to pursue a career in physical therapy. During this time Jaleel worked multiple jobs and grew closer to his great-grandmother, GranGran, who taught him to always finish what you start. However, after the passing of his GranGran during the early years of his college career, Jaleel fell out of love with the healthcare field and decided to change career paths and pursue music. Jaleel decided to follow the advice of his beloved GranGran and went on to finish college and became the first college graduate in his family.

Jaleel has since released multiple singles, videos and two full-length albums, including 2020’s “You = Me” and 2021’s “S.O.N.” Jaleel considers his style as authentic and unapologetic with raw aggression. By writing lyrics that capture the everyday emotions and stories Jaleel hopes to connect with his fans in an authentic and meaningful manner. He actively continues to push his lyrical boundaries and explore his imagination and creativity when it comes to creating music.

For the past few years Jaleel has been working on his stage presence by performing across numerous venues in Nashville and Atlanta. He aspires to collaborate with artists he admires, such as Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, and Future. Though Yung Dolph is no longer with us, Jaleel continues to honor his legacy.

In addition to creating and making music, Jaleel is an advocate for artist independence. He believes that artists should not only be creative but also possess the knowledge and skills to navigate the business side of the industry. This has led Jaleel to take an active role in creating his own custom merchandise and take an active role in all his business endeavors.

One of Jaleel’s life goals, beyond his career as an artist, is to give back and represent Nashville positively within the hip hop scene. He contributes to the community by volunteering at the “Rescue Mission,” where he spends mornings serving breakfast and engaging with the people.

“I want to make an impact by delivering authentic and timeless hip hop music. Music that can entertain, inspire, and/or motivate others and give back to my community”. -Itz Jaleel