Back in September, rising Maryland rapper Jay IDK released his acclaimed second project 'The Empty Bank', and things have been rolling nicely for him ever since.
In October he made it out to the UK for a show with G-Star Raw, which actually marked his first trip to our shores since being born here and his family relocating to the US when he was just two years old.
"I was born in Clapham and I stayed there until I was two years old,” he reveals. “The reason why we left is still unknown, my mother passed recently and I never really got clarification.”
As he took the time reconnecting to his roots, Jay thought it only right to document some of his time in London by capturing it in the latest video from his album. Highlighting the track ‘Mentality’, we see him hanging out around Hackney and Edmonton, as well as putting in some tourist time and checking out Big Ben. “My memories of growing up in the UK are very faint,” Jay admits.
“My mother's sister still lives there. And my biological father as well. Returning was crazy for me, seeing how poverty was so diverse is what stood out the most. Both black people and white people lived in the projects together. In America you never really see that, it's very rare for us."
Check out the video for 'Mentality' below.
Photo Credit: Daniel Prakopcyk (LINK)
Words: Grant Brydon
