Jamal

Jamal Phillips, known mononymously as Jamal, is an American rapper and producer who first gained attention as one half of the duo Illegal, a rap act assembled by producer Dallas Austin in the early 1990s that scored notice with the single «Track of Our Time». After Illegal disbanded, Jamal pursued a solo career, positioning himself within hip-hop while occasionally drawing on pop and rock textures in his production.

His solo material draws on gritty, street-oriented lyricism paired with radio-conscious hooks, a combination that reflects his early grounding in the Dallas Austin camp. Tracks such as «Keep It Real» and «Unfuckwittable» showcase a confident, unapologetic delivery typical of mid-to-late 1990s East Coast-adjacent rap, while later work broadened stylistically.

Though never a mainstream superstar, Jamal remains a notable figure for hip-hop historians as part of the Illegal lineage and for his subsequent solo catalog, which continues to circulate among fans of that era's rap sound.