Jehst

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jehst (born William G. Shields, 25 Dec 1979) is a British rapper. Within the UK hip-hop scene, he is known for his intelligent lyrics and original style.[1] He spent his early childhood in Crowborough in Sussex before moving to Huddersfield where he experienced the bleak realities of the post-industrial north, which have been such an influence on his lyrical style.

Jehst studied economics at the prestigious London School of Economics, although he dropped out when he got a record deal. He has strong affliations with fellow UK rappers such as Klashnekoff, Yungun and Braintax, as well as UK rap groups such as Taskforce and Terra Firma. He made his debut on the vinyl-only Premonitions EP and is a co-founder of YNR Records, although his recent releases have been through Low Life Records and Reprazent. He was also a member of the short-lived UK hip-hop supergroup Champions of Nature, along with the likes of Lewis Parker, Supa T, Profound and Apollo.

The release of four 12" records under Low Life Records (founded by Braintax), followed the release of the Premonitions EP. The last of these 12"s in June 2002 titled The Return of the Drifter, was a double release with an accompanying 11-track CD of the same name. The Return of the Drifter CD was essentially a collection of pre-released tracks and is a strong cross-section of Jehst's work up to that point. Of note on the CD are fan-favourite "High Plains Anthem", the Harry Love produced track "Alcoholic Author" and "Staircase To Stage", which features US rapper J-Zone.

He has released three long-players so far, with Falling Down being his biggest commercial success to date.