Jeshi: DIY

Jeshi (born Jesse Greenway) is an Indie rapper based in the UK who has managed to make a name for himself by choosing do-it-yourself (DIY) methods of recording music. He did once even record a song using a Nintendo Wii microphone, and that sentiment of being thrifty with recording equipment has not changed. In an interview with Huck, he mentioned how the idea of being at and working in large, shiny recording studios didn’t particularly entice him.

He prefers to keep it simple by recording mostly at home or at friends’ homes. His reasoning for feeling that way has to do with the fact that he seems to associate a professional recording studio with a space where one works. He doesn’t was his art to feel like work. Instead, the relaxed and enjoyable environment of recording at home with friends allows him to reach emotional depths that are real and palpable, and he then infuses that within his creative expression, giving it more substance and a high level of authenticity.

Perhaps some of that is evident in his determination to keep his lyrics grounded and hard-hitting. His track Generation, and its music video, address the situation that the current generation that’s reaching adulthood has to face. He highlights how people of this generation have to deal with certain challenges sooner than previous generations have had to deal with in the past.

As the song stays rooted in the experiences of every day with an apparent absence of even a semblance of hope, the story of the song begins to feel almost sympathetic. The emotion, expressed through a well-thought-out rhythm and intense melody, is not only present but feels deeply personal. This feat undeniably touched audiences, and that is what has made Jeshi one of the most intriguing upcoming rappers in the UK.

Creating art (music in this case), according to Jeshi should be fun and exciting. That is an important element to the creative process because it starts to lose its genuineness when it becomes a mundane process.

That is, of course, not to say that there shouldn’t be a serious element in the art-making process (his music clearly indicates that he hasn’t abandoned somber and grounded elements in his work), but it shouldn’t become part of a job. If we were to expand that on our own end, perhaps his message is about questioning the process of churning out new material for the sake of it as opposed to making art because you (i.e., the artist) wish to share an experience through a creative medium.

Jeshi’s take on music has clearly resonated with listeners in the short time that he’s been operating. Some of his songs have even crossed millions of plays on Spotify.

With his ability to stay true to himself, enjoy the process of creating art, and be reflective about the environment around him, Jeshi has managed to become a unique voice within the UK Rap and Hip Hop scene, and audiences from other parts of the world are also starting to take notice and appreciate him and his art.