I AM UNDENIABLY JELANI
The first time I saw Jelani perform on stage, I was blown away by the presence that he held. Jelani, also known by his stage name The Knightheart, is from Detroit and was raised in Toledo. His logo consists of a knight’s shield with a heart; he also uses the yin and yang symbol for his imagery. The Knightheart mentioned that he thinks, “Duality is super important. I think everyone has a little bit of light and darkness.”
Jelani’s music balances both aspects of light and darkness, which can be seen in his latest songs, “3 AM/Wide Awake” and “Blessings in Disguise.” In certain songs, The Knightheart embraces what he calls his “shadow self.” He represents his true thoughts and emotions through his lyrics and tunes. Jelani wants his audience to see him as just being himself, which means that they might see the yin of his music, but they will also be blessed with the yang. Jelani urges people to be able to recognize the yin and yang in themselves and to embrace it.
At a certain point in his life, Jelani felt that people didn’t care and that he was “Shouting into the abyss.” The emotional reactions people had to his songs helped Jelani realize that his songs were influential.
Jelani funnels his motivation into the Inspiration Outlet. He wants other artists to be inspired “To set your mind on what you want.” Pouring inspiration into other artists is something that feeds into Jelani’s yang. He loves seeing other artists succeed and excel on their creative journey, which is why he helps to book them for shows.
MVNIFVST is Jelani’s lifestyle brand and multimedia production company. They do anything from music videos, shows, and charity drives. His merchandise can also be found on MVNIFVST. MVNIFVST is Jelani’s sub-community for artists to grow and help each other on their individual journeys. Another way Jelani has helped the artist community was through Young Artists at Work; a charity that Jelani is involved with. He is always finding ways to help fellow artists and one of the ways he did this was by having some young artists create some of his graphics and digitals from Young Artists at Work. It is important to stay connected in the art community as The Knightheart has demonstrated.
“Protect Your Heart Guide Your Peace” uses imagery and old historical clips to show what is going on in the world politically right now. He feels that there is a disconnect across the entire world; he urges people to focus on their shared experiences with each other in “This thing called life.” His song was a reflection of what it means to be here right now. His job as an artist is to capture his viewpoint in time in life. He wanted to be able to share his view of what it is like to be a black man and an artist in America right now.
A lot of artists come from tough backgrounds and have struggled, however they are able to turn that struggle into something beautiful through their art. Jelani stressed how important it is for artists to have support. He wants to be able to uplift fellow artists and show them that their dreams are possible. Spirituality is different for everyone, but all human beings have a shared experience of life. Jelani isn’t afraid to incorporate his spirituality in his music because he believes “It’s important to be fearless when showing people what you feel.”
Jelani is a constant work in progress, always changing and evolving through his music. On his journey, he wants to be able to always learn and love himself unconditionally. Jelani’s experiences are unique; he is grateful for his experiences of homelessness because it has given him a different perspective of life. “I don’t think I would have the same ability to connect with people if I hadn’t had these experiences.” His latest album “Faith Over Fear” dives into self-exploration and overcoming internal struggles. His music can be found on Apple Music and Spotify.