The borders between London’s musical tribes have always been porous. For Yu… Read Full Bio ↴The borders between London’s musical tribes have always been porous. For Yussef Kamaal, the sound of the capital – with its hum of jungle, grime and broken beat – has shaped a self-taught, UK-tipped approach to playing jazz. In the states, the genre’s long-running to-and-fro with hip hop – from Robert Glasper to Kamasi Washington – has reimagined it within US culture. On Black Focus, Yussef Kamaal frame jazz inside the bass-saturated, pirate radio broadcasts of London.

Taking inspiration from the anything-goes spirit of ‘70s jazz-funk, on albums by Herbie Hancock or the Mahavishnu Orchestra, it’s a loose template with plenty of room to experiment. The pair, made up of Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams (aka Henry Wu), have had little in the way of formal training. Instead, their musical tastes – and approach to playing – are indebted to Thelonious Monk’s piano as much as the drum programming of Kaidi Tatham.

“It's all about the drums and the keys,” Williams says. “Not to take anything from anyone else, but that's where it all originates from: the chords, the rhythm of the chords and the drums.” Born out of a one-off live session to perform Williams’ solo material for Boiler Room, it soon became a project in its own right. Coming together as Yussef Kamaal, they played a series of live shows where little more than a chord progression would be planned before taking to the stage

Bringing that unspoken understanding to the recording sessions (engineered by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics), the unplanned, telepathically spawned grooves retain the raw energy of their live shows. “It's not so much about complete arrangement, it's more about flow,” Dayes says. “A lot of the tracks are just made spontaneously – Henry will be playing two chords, I'll fill in the groove and we'll just leave the arrangement naturally.”

Both hail from South East London, crossing paths in 2007 as teenagers playing their first pub gigs around Peckham and Camberwell. Dayes drums for cosmically-inclined, afrobeat outfit United Vibrations, while Williams – on top of drumming and playing keys in different incarnations over the years – has made waves with his solo, synth-draped house 12"s for much-fêted labels like 22a and Rhythm Section.

Remembrance
Yussef Kamaal Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I have seen what I would see
I am where I wanna be
Nothing comes between you and me

You and I, are where we wanna be
'Cause nothing comes between us

I have seen what I would see

'Cause nothing comes between us

I am where I wanna be
Nothing comes between you and me

You and I, are where we wanna be
'Cause nothing comes between us

You and I, are where we wanna be
'Cause nothing comes between us

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Yussef Kamaal's song Remembrance are simple yet powerful. The repetition of the phrase "I have seen what I would see" suggests that the singer has reached a level of self-awareness and contentment, as if they have finally realized their own truth. The line "I am where I wanna be" conveys a sense of belonging and fulfillment, implying that the singer has found their place in the world.

The repeated refrain "You and I, are where we wanna be, cause nothing comes between us" emphasizes the importance of connection and the idea that nothing should come between two people who have found a strong bond. This could refer to a personal relationship or even a sense of unity with the world around them. Overall, the lyrics of Remembrance suggest a profound sense of peace and acceptance.

Line by Line Meaning

I have seen what I would see
I have experienced and witnessed everything that was meant to be a part of my life

I am where I wanna be
I am content and satisfied with my current position in life

Nothing comes between you and me
No obstacle or individual can impact or diminish the bond and connection we share

You and I, are where we wanna be
Our collective happiness and fulfillment is based on being together

'Cause nothing comes between us
Our unbreakable relationship is immune to interference from external forces

Contributed by Caroline K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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