Most Jamaican artistes generally seek a ‘buss’ in the reggae music industry. Of course, the island is world renown for this genre, thanks to the works of icon Robert ‘Bob’ Marley, and countless others.
Kalleem London, like many of his Jamaican musicians, is working overtime to be successful in the music business.
Crafting invigorating songs that meticulously blend genres such as rap, dancehall and R&B, Jamaican-born, Kalleem is paving his way into the hip-hop industry.
His current surroundings in Atlanta, where he is based, provides a nice launchpad – given the American culture. Kalleem though is also proving his worth, already flourishing with multiple singles steadily growing in views and streams on the most popular social media platforms.
His songs include Bad mon, which has virtually been ‘killing it’ with over 350,000 YouTube views, while Perseverance has amassed more than 100,000 views in less than a year. On Spotify, Extraterrestrial and Drunk together have generated more than 240,000 streams.
So far, all these tracks have received favourable responses in Atlanta, New York, Miami, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Bad mon glamourizes and epitomises the cultural ideals of Jamaican youth – fast cars, beautiful women, promiscuity and ‘donmanship’. The song was produced by BeatsByMantra, who has worked with international acts such as Future, Rihanna and Bad Bunny.
Perseverance revolves around the complexities of life and exudes a sense of optimism as Kalleem acknowledges that while we will have good and bad days, “we should always embrace positivity”.
Extraterrestrial, the unreal but exhilarating song, speaks of aliens teleporting to earth to celebrate a festival with Hennessy. The song personifies Kalleem’s character, as an intellectual persona who does not necessarily fit in the hip-hop ‘space’, but is empowered to reach new heights in the industry.
His other releases include Girls Mon, Styrofoam and Benzedrine.
Citing Li’l Wayne as one of his earliest influences, the up and coming artiste reflects on his life and what stirred his interest in music when he was a little boy in Jamaica, not yet aged 10.
“My musical journey started in prep school where my friends and I started this R&B group called Back Street Boys, which was named after an American group of young boys. Later on, while attending Jamaica College, I discovered Li’l Wayne, who inspired me to transition from R&B to rap. The love for hip-hop music intensified when I went to sixth form at St George’s College and bumped heads with other kids who were rapping and making hip-hop beats,” explained the 21-year-old.
At the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kalleem started creating a buzz when he recorded a mixtape titled London Fraternity with 11 songs. By the second year, he headlined his first concert at UWI’s Student Union and produced Merch, which sold out in two weeks.
Kalleem also closed out a fashion show for The Gleaner at UWI, a feat he recollects with pride, noting that DJ Nico ‘spun’ his set for that performance.
Fast forward to now, the rising musician based in the United States is busy working on a new project with six tracks that will bring something new and refreshing to the market. The self-proclaimed “extraterrestrial force” says the music is a combination of luxury rap and psychedelic rap. The tracks will all be released in 2021.
The young and dynamic rapper, who writes all his songs and produces most of the beats, is also the creative director for his music videos.
“I am involved in every aspect of my music. It is my passion and I want to have a hands-on approach throughout the entire creative process, from writing the lyrics to producing the songs, as well as conceptualising and directing the videos,” said Kalleem.
Even though he is heavily involved in creating his music, Kalleem credits his accomplishments to a supportive team that has been with him from the beginning. The young artiste also expressed gratitude for his fans from Jamaica and the Diaspora, who stuck with him and continue to show their love and support.
He also acknowledged the instrumental role of social media in moving his career forward and growing a solid fanbase. Currently, his IG account has 116,000 followers.
When he is not in the studio, you can find Kalleemn working out, reading material that influences his music, coordinating with his team and sketching merch designs.
“I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that I have been blessed with this opportunity to do what I love. It’s something I don’t take for granted, especially being able to share my roots and culture with other parts of the world,” he concludes.
