The Voice of a Movement

by D’shandi Coombs

Manny Chaalam’s (pronounced Kuh- Lom) fiery passion and soothing vocals might be the fortuitous byproduct of growing up in a family of nine; it might be from a household fortified by a group of spirited and harmonious women, or it might be Chaalam’s keen awareness to his own sound and vision.

Whatever the reason, it’s sure to draw in habitual listeners and admirers from afar, “Fo’ Real.”

His upbringing on solely gospel and country music is clearly evident in the way Manny Chaalam connects with his listeners to inspire them to “do something with their lives.” When asked why he continues to rap in a heavily-saturated industry (especially by the advent of YouTube and social media) Chaalam replied loosely quoting the words of Tupac, “Even if I’m not the one who brings change, I’ll influence someone who will.” He seeks to shed light on societal issues and spark conversations, and essentially, “start a movement.”

In Manny Chaalam’s verse in the song “Wake Up” (which also features artist LEXONGOD) Chaalam speaks about some of the plights of the black community, including mental illness and police brutality. The “spark for conversation” is ignited in Chaalam’s verse when he spits:

“They be tellin me Manny try to be silent/They just killed lil bro, shit too real to be quiet.”

“If one of us kills one of yours, ya’ll crucify him/ When ya’ll decide to kill off my people, ya’ll justify it.”

“Don’t open up shop in my hood/ I won’t step one foot in your lies, cuz I ain’t buying.”

When performing, the air around him seems to intensify and press down on him like a weight. With his shoulders hunched, he leans into the crowd; hyping up his own wave of energy and effervescence on the   both the stage and audience.

Chalaam’s rhymes speak for themselves and echo the messages of rappers like Kendrick Lamar and J.Cole, who Chaalam stated heavily influenced his work.

So, take a journey come and vibe with me. And by ‘me,’ I mean Brooklyn rapper Manny Chaalam.

With a sultry flow and charismatic modulation, Chaalam creates a therapeutic- but stirring – sound; reminding listeners that feel-good music and lyricism can coexist.