‘Jewels’ – the first single to drop from JYELLOWL‘s [J-yellow-L] forthcoming debut LP. Born to Jamaican and Nigerian parents and raised in Ireland, the Dublin-based rapper has drawn on all three origins to create a distinctly powerful sound that is radically individual.
Speaking on ‘Jewels’, JyellowL explains: “Jewels is a celebration of our multifaceted nature, as well as the complexity of the human condition. It’s about recognising our worth and understanding that we are all inherently valuable and that our value may just manifest itself in different realms.”
The 21-year-old artist is dynamic in his lyricism and is fuelled by political conviction. A leading voice emerging out of the fierce juggernaut that is Ireland’s rap scene, this debut LP follows two groundbreaking EP’s and a string of headline performances, both in Ireland and internationally. His standout track ‘Ozone’ has surpassed 1.5 million views on Spotify alone and the single, ‘Oh Lawd’, featured on the soundtrack of the ‘Normal People’ TV series, has already surpassed 1.1 million views. A self-driven artist and entrepreneur, his newly established JyellowL Records Ltd quickly landed a distribution deal with the international distribution company IDOL.
The lyricism JyellowL delivers cuts to the heart of issues that are at once deeply personal and urgent on a global scale, driving political change right now. With a degree in politics from UCD University in Dublin, he explores the social problems that both intrigue and disturb him, from international conflict to economic inequality, unafraid to tackle subjects like racism in his music early on. In 2020, as protests erupted across the world, he spoke to a crowd of thousands at a Black Lives Matter in Dublin, envisioning a future Ireland that is radically inclusive and anti-racist.
As far back as 2017, his track Cold In The Summer addressed the international crisis of racial injustice and the legacy of slavery, while voicing a defiant demand for change. He released a video with Dublin-based creatives. VICE Magazine profiled him as a leading voice of Irish rap in their 2017 Music Issue,’on the crest of a wave of young artists in Ireland with an increasingly political bent’.
It didn’t take long cutting his teeth in Dublin’s burgeoning rap scene to make his rise. By 2018, JyellowL had released his groundbreaking debut EP Bulletproof and was supporting Rap superstar Nelly on a 3-date Irish tour that November, followed by a sold out Dublin show with ‘Money Trees’ hitmaker Jay Rock.
In 2019, his highly acclaimed Me N Me 2 EP followed, coming out at the same time as he took on a headline Irish tour, his first headline show in London, and performed a headline international sold-out concert at Steck Poppodium in The Netherlands.
Named as one of RTE’s 2FM Rising acts for 2019, he released two singles – the catchy Ozone and hard hitting Tek Time, the latter of which featured on Spotify’s influential Who We Be playlist. Endorsements from Spotify solidified his position as one of Ireland’s most influential young artists, featuring on a plethora of editorial playlists.
JyellowL made his stamp on the Irish festival scene that summer with a series of knockout performances including Longitude, KnockanStockan, Body & Soul, Band On The Strand Festival, Red Bull Gaf Party, and an international headline slot at Delft Jazz Festival in Holland. He ended that summer on a high with a coveted headline slot at the ‘3 Made By Music Stage’ on the Saturday night of a sold-out Electric Picnic, the pinnacle of the Irish festival circuit.
This game-changing performance led to the next and most exciting part of 2019, with JyellowL’s single Ozone selected to feature on the in-game soundtrack for the mammoth EA Sports FIFA 20. The curated playlist placed his track on the same level as hits by Anderson Paak, Major Lazer, Hot Chip and Skepta to name but a few. The success of 2019 peaked with a live performance and broadcast of Ozone on Ireland’s biggest broadcast event of the year, RTÉ’s NYE party.
Stay tuned for future single releases from JyellowL’s forthcoming debut album – 2020 D|vision…but for now, check it ‘Jewels’ below…
