After starting his career as a producer for up and coming South-African hip-hop acts, Ross Jack released his first single as a solo artist titled “Seven45” in 2012. His third single “Home Safe” topped the South African iTunes hip-hop charts for four weeks. The follow-up track “Babylon” made it into the hip-hop singles top ten on iTunes and the following mixtape Notes from the Wild cemented Ross Jack’s status as a contributor to South Africa’s hip-hop sound.
In 2015, Ross Jack released his debut studio album Self Medicated, after being signed to Sony in South Africa. The album is a wonderful mixture of rap, RnB, soul, and pop, and features his first two UK singles “Fall” and “Fear the Rush”. Ross himself calls Self Medicated more authentic than anything he has released before and his best work to date.
When asked to describe his sound, Ross explains it as “electric soul, or stoner-pop”. “I try to keep a bit of darkness to what I do and I like to combine soul samples with with synths and bass and big drums.”
His latest single “Fear the Rush” is the perfect introduction to his sound. The song features vocals from co-writer Arrow Benjamin, who you may know as the featuring artist on Naughty Boy’s and Beyoncé’s “Runnin'”. He also co-wrote Beyoncé’s “Freedom”, featuring Kendrick Lamar. The track is produced by Pete Boxsta Martin, who worked with James Arthur on his number one album Back from the Edge.
“Fear the Rush” combines soulful vocals with brooding instrumentals. It showcases the melodic hip-hop that helped Ross Jack top the charts in South-Africa. The track perfectly captures what Ross Jack is all about and if you enjoy this song, we urge you to give Self Medicated a listen.
You can listen to “Fear the Rush” below. If you want to stay up to date on Ross Jack’s every move, give him a follow on Twitter or like his facebook page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Py9AbfYq5Y