The return of the irrespressible Jehst. Shaun Cronin reports.
After a five-year recording hiatus, one of the UK's finest lyricists, Jehst, marks his return to the live arena to celebrate the launch of his forthcoming album 'The Dragon of An Ordinary Family'. Doctor’s Orders have once again brought a top-notch line-up to Fabric. Joining Jehst in Room one are the X-Executioner’s scratch wizard Rob Swift, New York’s finest mixtape and radio DJ legend Stretch Armstrong, plus an epic four turntable face-off between Extenders players Mr Thing and Harry Love, rounding off a hip-hopper's delight of a night.
Jehst first established himself in the UK hip hop scene with the release of his mostly self-produced debut album 'Return of the Drifter' in 2002. His wit, wordplay and wry observations of everyday life in England introduced a unique new voice that lived with benefit cheats, no hopers and stoners – separating him from the ever-growing crowd of UK rappers aping the keep-it-real gangster-isms of their US counterparts.
The follow-up, 'Falling Down', also released on the seminal, now-defunct, hip hop label Lowlife, featured Jehst sharing production duties with renowned producer-MC Lewis Parker. Throughout the LP, he further raised the lyrical bar with an ever-expanding vocabulary and insightful poetic musings on a variety of social and political issues, with his trademark bitter yet humorous observations still intact.
'Nuke Proof Suit' proved to be Jehst’s last full-length release, with only the Mengi Bus mixtape let loose to the public in the intervening years. During this time, an independent label and distribution deal has come to fruition. With Jehst now his own boss and a new album to be released next week, he’s back in the public eye on his own terms and the future is looking bright for Huddersfield’s finest rhyme spitter.
Also featured on the night in room two are London-based heavyweight dubstep duo The Others, drum 'n' bass innovator Adam F and dancefloor favourites Shy FX.
Jehst's Album Launch is this Friday 17th June at Fabric.
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