JED - 17 (Official Video)

In a culture where spending most of our lives at work is normalised and overworking is glorified, it’s rare to hear an artist scathingly criticise their own drive. This is exactly what the Brighton based rapper, JED, does in his first song of the year. ‘17’ is a beautifully introspective description of the negatives that come with ambition, as well as a comment on our work-obsessed society.

A soothing vocal sample, a minor chord progression and the opening lyric, “I’ve been replacing what I need with what I want”, immediately sets the somber tone for JED’s most personal track to date. JED goes on to detail the specifics of how his intense work-ethic has had a negative impact on the people around him, summing this sentiment up with lines like “the more I’m pulling in the more I push away” as well as some extremely personal and poetic lyricism. The second verse delves deeper into the pressures of early adulthood, with JED powerfully illustrating his personal experiences as well as those of his friends. Filled to the brim with hard-hitting bars, relatable story-telling and smooth Hip-Hop flows,  ‘17’ grips the listener throughout.

Despite ‘17’ being his first release of the year, JED has had a fantastic 2022 so far. His UK Garage banger, ‘Gin n Tonic’ picked up some serious steam and was supported by Reprezent Radio, Unity Radio, Australia's Hip-Hop Connect as well as many more. Additionally, he has been doing a run of shows across Brighton and South London which have built anticipation for his debut EP. Whilst there will be many more party bangers to come from Brighton’s newest prospect, ‘17’ has demonstrated his serious lyrical ability and makes him an even more exciting young artist.