Hip Hop's global appeal has harvested numerous ripe acts from the UK, and Jehst is the cream of that crop. Spitting "liquor breath intropsect" is what Citizen Smif (one of many aliases) does best, with cerebral wordplay woven into flows of perpetual multis. The word 'lyricist' is sometimes not enough.

"Lets take it back to '79" Jehst was born in Kent but moved to Huddersfield at an early age. There he experienced the bleak realities of the post-industrial north, experiences he often relates to in his music. After his school years he moved to London for a university education and released the EP, Premonitions in 1999. This debut realease was through his co-founded label, YNR, but after collaborating with Task Force he began working with Low Life Records. Over the next few years he created a couple of EPs and several singles which all came together on an 11 track CD that accompanied the 2002 release of his 12", The Return Of The Drifter.

This brought him exposure and his name began to attract interest from some of the best hip hop artists east of the Atlantic. He combined his work with producers like Lewis Parker and rappers such as Klashnekoff. The inevitable debut album, Falling Down in 2003 led Billy Brimstone to build a hefty discography of albums and mixtapes with a mass of live performances.

Alcohol and marijuana consumption has been a regular theme in his craft since the early, Liquid Diction up to the more recent, Weed. These topics, partnered with a laid back approach to the production, with raw drum beats, are the perfect remedy to a stressful day. Sit back, nod your head and share the expected smirk at the genius of his lyrical content.

In a saturated industry, The High Plains Drifter has a warmingly unqiue delivery. At first it may even be a struggle to get used to, though the appreciation and respect for his art comes naturally. Continue through his massive catalogue of songs and that appreciation soon becomes love. Whether it be the the working class wordsmithery of Adventures in New Bohemia, "Call me the counterfeit Big Lebowski/ the part-time alchy, scrambling aound for his house key/ knee deep in debris, sipping on PG Tips like a chimpanzee/" or the chillingly dark intropsect on the love song, ESP "A brickhouse built with porcelain features/ a fragile creature, grief stricken apparent in alopecia/ the peace keeper, the key to life beyond us/ I love her beyond lust/" you've got to tip your fitted cap to Jay Star for what he's bringing to Hip Hop.

Listen Here

Jehst - High Plains Anthem