Inside Jae5’s Sold Out Debut Headline Show At London’s Prestigious Lafayette Venue w/ Amazon Music and +44

Jae5 is nothing short of a creative genius; the British-Ghanaian Grammy & MOBO award winning producer/engineer has steadily established himself as one of the leading pioneers in the afro-swing genre. With ticket demand through the roof having sold out incredibly fast, last week saw the multi-talent gear up for his first ever headline show at the prestigious Lafayette venue in London – teaming up with Amazon Music and +44 to create an impeccable immersive experience that presented an exceptional showcase of Jae5’s expansive discography.

The tangible energy percussively building throughout the supporting DJ’s increased as the Lafayette filled up to full capacity with fans eagerly anticipating the night ahead of them. Shortly before 9:30pm, Jae5 took to the stage with a full band, The Composers – met with a warm welcome and atmospheric frenzy throughout the jam packed venue. Playing an extensive set that spanned across around 90 minutes, the producer showed why he is the best in the business, playing through much of his expansive discography that has put him in the position he is today. Bringing through an array of high profile special guests including NSG, Libianca, Lojay, Zakhar as well as BNXN (fka Buju) – the audience was met by consistent surprises throughout the headline. This wasn’t just any debut headline show however – this was an art showcase – 90 minutes for Jae5 to show the world that not only is he an exceptional producer, but an all round talent beyond his time.

Upstairs standing areas in venues amongst the UK can often get drowned and disrespected by the stereotype that the energy and vibe is less infectious and tangible – however Jae5’s show was completely the opposite. With the Lafayette being a two tiered venue, the upstairs standing area was filled up with further special guests and friends and family that subsequently constructed the most immaculate vibe. The whole venue was filled with an audience that was enthusiastically charged up, singing each lyric to every track, word for word, and there hasn’t been many better nights that showcased the ability music has to extract passion from any given individual, and shine through the rife joy amongst a whole crowd. The night reflected not only the success that Jae5 has seen himself, but the impact and mark it has left on many other lovers of his craft.

With Jae5 playing through a whole portfolio of his discography, it was only right he spun most of his discography, including many of the resulting tracks from his inseparable producer/artist bond with J Hus. Despite not coming through to perform on stage, J Hus was spotted by many in the upstairs area getting lit enthusiastically rapping along to his own songs by the balcony – which in turn further helped in producing the incredible atmosphere that was on display last Wednesday.

Jae5 & Friends in association with Amazon Music and +44 was an incredible showcase of the finest afro-swing and rap music the UK scene has to offer. What many may not realise, is that Jae5 has been the root of some of the biggest tracks to have come out of the UK in recent years, including Dave and Burna Boy’s “Location”, J Hus’ “Did You See”, NSG’s “Options” amongst such many, many others in a truly expansive list of hits. The man is a living legend, and without him, the UK music scene would not be the same. What a special night, and an incredible mark in Jae5’s career with his sold out debut headline show at the Lafayette.