kissinâ teef is the sonic expression of Kai Isaiah-Jamal, a South London creative whose world spans poetry, fashion, visual art and now music. Raised in the cityâs gritty, vibrant DIY scenes, Isaiah-Jamal brings that layered sensibility into their debut EP âimpatiently waitingâ, offering something slick yet deep-rooted.
Debut single âJUNGLEâ opens with a Noel Gallagher sample jeering âAm I happy with that? No Iâm not. I want more!!!â, before settling into a crisp, minimalist drum machine bringing the grind, interwoven with subtle melodic string elements that glimmer; almost like sunlight reflecting off brick and concrete.
The rhythm nods to the early 2000s UK grime, rap and funky house scenes, roots familiar yet reimagined through a modern lens. Itâs less nostalgia and more a threadbare love letter to multicultural Britain, sketching out its connective tissue, its unspoken tensions and the resilience forged in everyday struggle.
âItâs a love letter to the beauty of the city being a melting pot of culture and reclaims what being British isâ, Isaiah-Jamal says. When the LBC call from âDarrenâ cuts in, itâs more than a sample, itâs a staccato punctuation, a sharp, jarring reminder woven into the rhythmic fabric.
This is a track both reflective and reactive, as Isaiah-Jamal puts it, âit is a song about resistance, community and standing fearlessly against racial hatred whilst reflecting on how marginalised communities have built this city into the radiant and alive patchwork it is todayâ.
The accompanying video, directed by Hector Dockrill, walks through a London housing estate with the intimacy of a memory, visually rich, framed by neighborhood voices, friction and warmth. Itâs a piece of the city as seen by someone forever in love with its contradictions.
đ§ Watch the video for âJUNGLEâ below
And, listen to debut EP âimpatiently waitingâ here
