Live Report: Jesse Junes brings humour and heart to the Y&E Series

Last night, rising Nigerian-Irish rapper Jesse June came to the Hot Press Y&E Series from a location that had all the vibes of a decadent nightclub. June was bursting with excitement throughout the evening, with his energy no doubt pumping up the virtual crowd.

June started the night by performing two unreleased tracks. The first was 'The Fall', a song about not giving in to the will of those around you and blazing your own trail. The second, 'Get Me Out', delves into that powerful feeling of simply wanting to get as far away from an awkward situation as possible.

These first two songs were from an older collection of the singer's work. "It's so weird going back to those songs that I made two years ago," June said. "I made those when I first started making music and I put my heart and soul into those songs. It's crazy when I got this gig and I started listening back to them, I thought music is great because It can just capture emotion and that’s why I love doing it and I love having the opportunity to be out here expressing myself to you."

June then moved from these more sincere and emotional songs to his more recent works that showed off his knack for creating fun, clever, and wildly funny verses. "She looks at me like I’m a Rubik's cube she can not solve / Just cause I told her my world will never revolve / Around her", he sings in the soon-to-be-released track 'Casket'.

The next song he brought was his 2021 single 'Hide My Feelings'. The song, that Jesse calls one of his absolute favourites, is at nearly a thousand streams on Spotify with the rapper encouraging those attending to go to the streaming service and push it over that mark.

Jesse June ended his set with 'Regular Kid'. The song tells about how June had an inflated ego as a young child, but it was only after realising that ego alone can not bring you success that he started truly devoting himself to his craft.

'Regular Kid' is set to be released as June’s next single on May 13th. "Kendrick copied my release date," June quipped referring to Kendrick Lamar's recent announcement of his next album. If June keeps making songs like these, he could be giving the Compton rapper a run for his money before we know it.

 

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Watch the Hot Press Y&E Series – supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media – live on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressmagazine) at 7pm each night.

Coming up on the Y&E Series:

Thursday, April 21: Dáwna
Hailing from Tipperary, Dáwna initially built up his reputation busking in cities and towns around Ireland. Since 2019, he's steadily been releasing a selection of well-received singles – including his latest track, 'I L L I A D'. He's also clocked up support slots for the likes of Hermitage Green and Susan O'Neill, and launched his latest single with a sold-out headline show at The Kenyon Bar in Nenagh.

Friday, April 22: PrYmary Colours
Featuring Cayisha on vocals and Daz on production, PrYmary Colours have brought a bold new energy to the Irish dance music scene. This duo have already made their mark at the House Of Yes club in New York, the Olympia Theatre in Dublin and a wide selection of festival stages. In October, they released their powerful single ‘The Movement’ – a rallying cry against racial injustice.

Saturday, April 23: Caleb Kunle
Drawing inspiration from the three locations he calls home – Lagos, Laois and London – Caleb Kunle is rapidly emerging as a captivating new talent on the international stage, with his unique blend of soul, folk, jazz and more. Back in November, he shared his latest single, 'Could Be Good' – which is his first release on Hackney-based independent label Pony Recordings.

Sunday, April 24: BRÍDÍN
Hailing from Co. Sligo, BRÍDÍN carries the tradition of Irish music into the fourth generation of her family – playing harp, flute, piano and dancing sean nós. After achieving a master’s degree in music, she’s continued to develop her own unique style, bringing a modern energy to her traditional influences. She released her Ocean Of Stars EP in 2021, which featured an appearance from Colm Mac Con Iomaire.

Monday, April 25: Amberlight
Made up of vocalist Lauren Doherty and guitarist/producer/songwriter Paul Casey, this Derry duo have been busy over the last two years, releasing an exciting selection of singles and accompanying videos, including the likes of 'The Song My Heart Sings' , 'Strong Enough', 'Only Love (A Fisherman's Lament)' and 'Peace at Last'. They also contributed to the Rave On, Van Morrison series, performing a cover of 'Celtic New Year'.