Here is the 4th studio LP from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom graffiti writer, MC & producer Jehst. Introducing himself by releasing an extended play called Premonitions through his own label YNR Productions based out of London. He would go on to drop High Plains Drifter along with his debut album The Return of the Drifter & the sophomore effort Falling Down under the Leeds imprint Low Life Records, following the latter up with the Mengi Bus mixtape & the Nuke Proof Suit EP. Coming off The Dragon of an Ordinary Family, he’s declaring Billy Green’s Dead.
The self-produced “Billy Green’s Theme” intro opens up with our main character desiring to be like the late Notorious B.I.G. & 2Pac in terms of a successful rap career prior to “So Far to Go” brings Paul White behind the boards experimentally talking about life being what happens when you’re making other plans. “Good Robot” puts us inside the shoes of a humanoid machine serving the economy worshipping money like it’s God while “Kennedy” featuring Confucius MC finds the pair getting conspiratorial.
Jyager appears on “Household Name” produced by Beat Butcha asking themselves whether or not they’ll be remembered for their music when it’s time to hang it up just before “44th Floor” hops over a Dr. Zygote instrumental to talk about a man on the verge of taking his own life. “City Streets” continues the 2nd half getting in the zone over a sample echoing behind him while “Set in Stone” talks about explaining himself to an individual unwilling to listen.
“Smoke Screen” featuring Mr. Thing discusses hiding themselves from the world as it is while “Jonestown” featuring Eric Biddines & Strange U intelligently talks about cult leaders. “Eulogy” has a psychedelic groove to it addressing his loved ones from beyond the grave & after the “Remembrance” interlude filled with spoken word voicemails, the closing track “Billy Green is Alive!” featuring Confucius MC & Jyager properly concludes the full-length talking about eternal life.
Some would say Billy Green’s Dead rivals The Return of the Drifter in becoming Jehst’s magnum opus & I might not agree with that necessarily because Falling Down’s a close 2nd, but there’s no denying the YNR founder’s place amongst the most impactful UK hip hop artists of all-time containing a short yet sweet catalog. The boom bap production’s a tad bit more experimental than his earlier output, conceptually following our everyman protagonist on his solitary journey across an individualistically uncaring world.
Score: 3.5/5
Legends Will Never Die 