Dublin Rapper JYELLOWL Shares Single ‘Jewels’ Taken From His Forthcoming Debut LP

‘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…

 

Song of the Day: Sirens – Daire Patel (ft. Aby Coulibaly)

With his Christmas Day 2019 release ‘Hold Me Down’ approaching the 200k streaming mark and attracting a growing audience in the US, DAIRE PATEL returns with another journey into emotional, melodic hip-hop, coming in the shape of single, ‘Sirens’. Joined by stunning vocalist Aby Coulibaly on the second verse, the track provides the first taste of his debut EP and builds on the momentum of his early releases.

Recorded at home during the COVID 19 lockdown, ‘Sirens’ has received radio support from BBC Introducing and RTE 2FM, as well as being added to Spotify’s New Music Friday and Surface future R&B stars playlists.

Start your Monday right and check out ‘Sirens’ below…

Future Soul Outfit Shookrah shares ‘Notions’ Video

Senita Appiakorang (lead vocals), Emmet O’Riabhaigh (drums), Daniel Coughlan (guitar), Diarmait Mac Carthaigh (keyboard) and Brian Dunlea (bass guitar) – aka Irish future-soul act SHOOKRAH – have shared the video for their new single ‘Notions’, directed by band member Emmet O’Riabhaigh.

Forming part of their upcoming self-titled album, set to drop on 25 October, the track itself is centered around the time we waste staying in dysfunctional relationships. “It’s a recognition of faults committed to the other and yourself in seeking out traits other than those presented to you, which disqualifies the question of who was right or wrong and bares the reality of how hollow we become when we want something so bad that a tarnished version of it will do” says Senita. Fittingly the video features Senita sitting alongside herself in a plush nightclub setting, both “characters” cathartically exploring these emotions through the track.

She explains further: “The song is a reflection and address to a past lover. It felt appropriate to play my double, and kind of centre the sentiment of the song on the delusions we all create for ourselves in fractured relationships, that allow us to prolong its dysfunction.”

Shookrah. 2019. Photo: Bríd O’Donovan

Speaking of his production, Emmet O’Riabhaigh says: “We wanted to shoot something really simple and still with nice moody lighting so we decided to go with two Senitas in what looks like a lovers’ tiff. We shot it over the course of a day in the Bodega bar in Cork, and had Senita’s sister Yesunia to stand in for some of the shots, with the whole band helping out on the set.”

Named Best Act of 2017 and 50 People to Watch in 2018 by The Irish Times, the five-piece have seen substantial press support from the likes of The Irish Examiner, AFROPUNK, Wonderland Magazine, Clash Magazine, Music Week, District Magazine, Nialler9 and Made in Shoreditch Magazine. They’ve also received airplay from BBC’s Radio Ulster, and their track ‘Gerascophobia’ was named BBC Ulster’s Across The Line track of the day.

Racking up nearly 300K streams on digital platforms, they shared the stage with Billy Ocean on his Irish tour and have played Body & Soul Festival, Electric Picnic, Wigwam, Quarter Block Party, Other Voices Music Trail, and Knockanstockan Festival.

Check out the video below…

New Music Video: Tek Time – JyellowL

Fast becoming one of the most talked about names in Irish music, JYELLOWL sends a strong reminder that people who achieve quick success can lose it easily as it comes, through his latest track, ‘Tek Time.’

The follow-up to the Gentlemen Record released banger, ‘Ozone’, finds the rapper in a fiery mood – taking to task those around him who he feels aren’t being as true to themselves.

Check out the boisterous visual below:

New Lease Music’s Top Ten Albums of 2018

10. HIGHLANDS – DELAFAYE

9. DREAMLIFE – J KAS

8. JE NE SAIS QUOI – GEMINI CHRIS

7. 24 HRS – KING BLITZ

6. #DONTSLEEPONJAS – J.A.S

5. LFTP SEASON VOL.1 – 3BUBBLE & J. GRAY

4. SKETCH (ABSTRACT) – MISSION

3. PERPENDICULAR – AMANI

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