J Rick – Short

Next Up With A Dope Vibe

Rising star of UK music, J Rick, is coming into the spotlight with the release of a visual for his new track ‘Short’. The video hypnotises with its vibrant aesthetic and colours. Shot as a home movie in J Rick’s house where they threw a party and built a half pipe, it captures the essence of summer and freedom, perfectly corresponding with the enticing energy of the track. The release establishes J Rick not only as an unmatchable producer but also an all-around visionary. ‘Short’ serves as the exciting first glimpse into everything that is to come from him this year.

Call it faith, call it luck, call it destiny. In fact – in the case of upcoming UK artist J Rick – call it all three, and more. You’ll likely know his name already, as the architect behind BBC Music’s Sound of 2019 winner Octavian. He produced the breakthrough singles “Party Here”, “Hands” and “Lightning”; a trio which each explore beyond the fringes of London’s ever-evolving soundworld, and together sound truly unlike anything else right now.

They say the artist is the star, and in a lot of cases that’s true. For right or wrong, the MC is often the face of the brand. But J Rick and Octavian’s relationship runs deeper than that. It’s a brotherhood. Essie Gang is the name of their crew, and the two artists – plus several friends – had the name tattooed on themselves long before they were making music. So, it feels natural that now – off the back of their joint success – J Rick is stepping forward to release under his own name. It’s a family thing, and he’s the next up.

Just above the Essie Gang tattoo on his stomach is another that reads “No Retreat No Surrender”. His uncle, a boxer, passed away – and long story short, that was his mantra. And though J Rick’s music isn’t political, it is instilled with meaning – that tattoo is the name of his upcoming mixtape, for reasons he can tell you more about. There’s also the fact that, in a world of producer tags and hyped up features – stuff that’s done for the money, essentially – J Rick embodies what it means to be a purist.

These days if you fill a hat with a who’s-who of the British music scene and pull out a name, chances are J Rick’s worked with them. But, for him, this isn’t about clout; not every song has to be released. It’s about doing what feels right and building his own stuff first. “I want the first thing I release to be proper different,” he says.