Photography by Samuel Ibram

“Surroundings are important,” Jeshi tells Man About Town. When it came to making his upcoming second album, Air Bag Woke Me Up, the East London-hailing rapper found himself in new environments. His 2022 critically-lauded debut LP, Universal Credit, delivered at the apex of the cost of living crisis, changed his life – taking him from the day-to-day on the dole that it documented, to international stages.

While limited means meant its predecessor’s production was confined largely to his house, Air Bag Woke Me Up saw the wordsmith first branch out into a studio in the local area. “I would walk to and from it from my house which helped a lot in processing what I was making and thinking,” he says. Other parts were made in an “insane house just outside of Paris,” and others in LA. The project reflects on – to coin a phrase churned out by the former government in supposed response to aforementioned economic woes – levelling up. But in Jeshi’s case, rather than a failed economic policy, such a mission marked a decisive elevation of his life and its intentions, following a 2016 car accident he experienced when driving home from a party. Thanks to the airbag, he woke up from the collision and what followed was a watershed moment in his perception of life and the energy he afforded his.

The project’s first single “Total 90” furnished the summer with a modern take on Blur, with the rapper re-tooling the band’s 1997, “Song 2”. The raucous “Disconnect” followed, featuring a coterie of London talent (Fredwave, J Caesar and Man About Towncover star, Louis Culture), and he commenced autumn with “Hurricane”, a track “all about trying to tame the mayhem in life and that secret love we have for the chaos of it."

Ahead, of the project’s release, Jeshi turns his gaze to his space, guiding us through the belongings he lives alongside every day that have made him the artist he is. From a fake high fashion football, pivotal award and a britpop album poster – his home is a treasure trove of his idiosyncrasies.

My fake Louis Vuitton football
It’s one of my favourite things that I own and I couldn’t even tell you why. I picked this up from a souk in Marrakech recently. It’s got a special place in my heart for fake designer items.

AIM Independent Music Award for “Best Music Video” for “3210”
I’m still so proud of this. It’s the only thing I’ve ever won. It’s been sick reconnecting with Will Dohrn [the video director who I won it alongside] on the new album recently. What a boy.

A giant cheque from the Universal Credit album cover shoot
This album was probably the most important part of my career so far and I love having this part of it in my house as a reminder of it. I worked on this with Francis Plummer who did all the creative with me for that album and I still get hyped over how well it all came together.

Oasis Be Here Now album poster
I love this image so much. I was looking for a huge poster of it for ages and managed to find this online. It was either from a street or bus stop flyering, I think. I’m not the biggest Oasis fan ever but it’s a sick image and Liam Gallagher is hilarious.

Dizzee Rascal Boy In Da Corner Vinyl
One of the most important British albums ever. It’s been so pivotal in everything I do and is a constant stream of inspiration for me.