Young artist Jaedawn hails from Colorado Springs. He describes his sound as “hip-hop with pop vibes.“ Also known as “Yunng D”, Jaedawn approaches music from an authentic place writing about his own experiences. His songs focus on the complexities of love and relationships( from the perspective of a nineteen year old) as well as the challenges of making it in the music business. Jaedawn has been influenced by artists of our time including: Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Kanyne West. He credits these artists as being part of his foundation introducing him to a wide-range of emotional and musical possibilities. His debut EP, “Just Me’, demonstrates just why this young, Colorado Springs artist has what it takes to go national.
The first track off the EP is “Giving In.” The sentiment of this track is that "you win some and you lose some, but you can’t change what’s been done." The song has an introspective quality. After the ambient intro, the track establishes the beat. There is a lower-scale vocal effect that stands out giving the song depth with an engaging element. Jaedawn refers to moving forward, onto diamonds and CD’s, not backwards to an old relationship, but he admits his own short-comings and temptations. “I feel like my own channel might grab me. I feel like my own flesh might attack me. I just can’t seem to find my happy.” “Giving In” is a great first track and keeps listeners wanting to hear more.
The next track titled “Jalen” is stripped down and raw opening with some guitar strumming and a strong vocal performance. Jaedawn is an artist who moves naturally from hip hop to R & B and pop and he sounds great doing all three. This song comes off as a conversational, genuine and heartfelt; Jaedawn’s rap can sound both improvisational and thoughtfully composed. Listeners get the impression that he means every word he says. “Another night begins and I pretend like I’m so glad to call you my friend, but what for? What more can we be in the future? I hope you have a beautiful life and you never, ever want to cry about the way you made me feel.” There’s a poetic quality to his work that is pure and honest. This sets him apart as he's not trying to impress anyone; his goal is to be real. Mid-way the song gives way to emotive vocalizing before a major shift occurs as if Jaedawn has snapped out of it and is done with the past ready for bigger and better things.
The third track is the self-titled, “Jaedawn.” In the beginning he quietly sings “I'm fine. I’m fine.” Jaedawn hits raw nerves taking on hard topics. He raps about the line between being a young man and rushing into the future too fast. He talks about feeling empty and at times hopeless. He raps about passion versus “cash-in” and feeling older than your years and he does it with maturity far beyond his years. Fans will be drawn to his realism. The chorus kicks it, the grove is solid, and the rap has an excellent flow. An electric guitar solo at the end adds a great touch making "Jaedawn" a song that knocks it out of the park.
A lot of young rappers write about making it in the industry and Jaedawn nails it in “Yunng JD”. This song is about the “If’s” - about what can be. “If I ain’t got it, then I gotta get it…”If I got it, I ain’t gotta split it”... If I gotta a shot I gotta hit it. If I get this money, I’m flashin it.” The rap is stellar, but what stands out and separates Jaedawn from the pack is his ability to raise the level of a song with pure guts and he does this in" Yunng JD." As he raps about staying focused, he changes the song up thinking about past memories. The music complete cuts out and he states, “Since we are separated and you are gone, I’ve come to realize the only thing harder than letting go is holding on.” That one line hangs in the air. The final track, seven-nineteen, is on the lighter side about “I just spent the night with your girlfriend, I had one good time with your girlfriend” and “hope that she don’t catch no feelings for me.” A great way to end the EP, seven-nineteen is a hit.
Jaedawn has put out an EP that is as real as it gets as he explores his experiences showcasing a full range of emotion and talent. His songs are engaging lyrically and musically as he takes on tough topics with honesty and poise and deep introspection that audiences worldwide will appreciate. To learn more about Jaedawn, visit his website.