J Hus

Biography

Mamadou Lamin Jallow (born 26 May 1996) known professionally as J Hus, is a British rapper and singer, credited with pioneering the genre of Afroswing. He is currently signed to Black Butter Records. He gained popularity in 2015 following the release of his song "Dem Boy Paigon".
J Hus' "Did You See" became his most successful single at the time, peaking at number nine on the UK Singles Chart and eventually being certified Platinum. In 2017, he released his debut album, Common Sense×Common Sense12 May 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Common Sense3:462Bouff Daddy3:253Clartin3:144Leave Me3:235Closed Doors3:496Did You See3:017Like Your Style2:578Plottin2:329Sweet Cheeks3:0110Fisherman2:5711Good Time3:0612Spirit3:3413Mash Up3:3814Goodies2:5215Good Luck Chale3:1316Who You Are3:3217Friendly3:55, which was critically acclaimed—it was named the best UK album of 2017 by Complex.
In January 2020, J Hus released his second album, Big Conspiracy×Big Conspiracy23 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Big Conspiracy3:392Helicopter2:343Fight for Your Right3:174Triumph2:505Play Play3:266Cucumber2:417Repeat2:338Fortune Teller2:359Reckless2:2810No Denying3:4911Must Be3:2812Love, Peace and Prosperity3:1413Deeper Than Rap4:06, which featured appearances by Jamaican singer Koffee, Nigerian singer Burna Boy and British singer Ella Mai. The album became his first number-one on the UK Albums Chart and received widespread critical acclaim. In June 2023, he released the single "Who Told You" with Drake, which became his highest-charting single, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was the lead single to his third album Beautiful and Brutal Yard×Beautiful and Brutal Yard14 July 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Intro (THE GOAT)2:152Massacre3:313Who Told You3:294Militerian3:145Palm Tree2:386Nice Body3:347Masculine3:258Come Look3:019Cream3:2310Comeback3:5111Alien Girl3:1212Fresh Water/Safa Kara3:5813My Baby3:5614Problem Fixer2:5115Killy3:0316It's Crazy3:4717Bim Bim2:5318Come Gully Bun (Gambian President)3:0919Playing Chess4:06, which released in July. The album became his second number-one on the UK Albums Chart.

Early life

J Hus was born in London to Gambian parents and grew up in the city's Stratford district. He was raised by his mother, who immigrated to England when she was 25 years old. Jallow was raised Muslim and is of ethnic Fula and Serer heritage. As a child, he and his mother would go to African parties and his parents would play African music for him. Growing up, he wanted to become an actor. He was expelled from school as he had, in his words, "started getting into a bit of trouble." In September 2014, following two separate prison stints, he was advised to focus on pursuing a music career by his childhood friend Moe who also agreed to be his manager. Moe and his older brother would go on to form their own management company, 2K Management.
J Hus got his stage name from the word "hustler", explaining that he would buy a pack of doughnuts and sell them individually at a profit when he was in secondary school.

2014–2016: Career beginnings and The 15th Day

J Hus began his career by recording several freestyles, including #StreetHeat, Bl@CKBOX and GRM Daily and publishing them online. He followed this with "#Rated", which samples the beat from French Montana's "Don't Panic", and "Want From Me" Remix of Kojo Funds' song, which gained a lot of coverage, helping his breakthrough. His next release was "Dem Boy Paigon", which was described by Ajay Rose of The Link Up as having "brought together an Afro-beat sound with lyrical rap ... capable of turning any dance upside down." He followed this with "No Lie" and his SB: TV "Warm Up Session".
Around the end of March 2015, he and MoStack released their "Westwood Crib Session". In late May 2015, he released "Lean & Bop×Lean & Bop2 October 2015 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Lean & Bop3:08", which was streamed more than 10 million times in total on music platforms. Around this time, he also released a "Daily Duppy×Daily Duppy14 April 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Daily Duppy5:09" for GRM Daily, which he followed with his first mixtape, The 15th Day×The 15th Day15 July 2015 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1I'm Coming2Shawty Inda Bando3Bangers Mash4Warm It Up5No Way6Dubai7Drive Me8Forget a Hater9No Lie10Who Are You11Guns & Butter12Calling Me13Thing for You14How It Goes15Dem Boy Paigon.

2016-2019: Common Sense and Big Spang

Jallow released the single "Friendly" in 2016, which received a nomination at the 2016 MOBO Awards, as well as "Playing Sports×Playing Sports7 October 2016 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Playing Sports3:012Clean It Up2:513Free Up3:03", MoStack's "Liar Liar" (Remix) and "Solo One", the last of which appeared on the Brotherhood soundtrack.
In 2017, he featured on Nines' "High Roller", which featured on his album One Foot Out. He also featured on Stormzy's "Bad Boys" from his album Gang Signs & Prayer, which peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, on Dave's "Samantha", which peaked at number 63, and charted at number 9 with his solo composition "Did You See". The song served as the lead single off his debut album, Common Sense×Common Sense12 May 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Common Sense3:462Bouff Daddy3:253Clartin3:144Leave Me3:235Closed Doors3:496Did You See3:017Like Your Style2:578Plottin2:329Sweet Cheeks3:0110Fisherman2:5711Good Time3:0612Spirit3:3413Mash Up3:3814Goodies2:5215Good Luck Chale3:1316Who You Are3:3217Friendly3:55 (2017). Upon release, the album was positively received by fans and includes features from MoStack, MIST, Tiggs da Author and Burna Boy. In May 2018, he released his EP, Big Spang×Big Spang30 May 2018 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Dark Vader2:492Scene3:493Dancing Man3:13 (2018).
Following his June 2018 arrest for carrying a bladed article in public, Jallow was sentenced to eight months in jail in December. Jallow's label stopped releasing music, with his only verse whilst incarcerated coming from the song "Disaster" which was released on Dave's debut album, Psychodrama. "Disaster" debuted at number eight on the UK Singles Chart on 15 March 2019.

2019–present: Big Conspiracy and Beautiful and Brutal Yard

Hours after his release from prison in April 2019, he made a surprise appearance on stage at Drake's concert at the O2 Arena in London. In November he released the single "Must Be×Must Be8 November 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Must Be3:27". He then released the singles "No Denying×No Denying27 December 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1No Denying3:35" and "Repeat". In December 2019, J Hus announced he will no longer tour for "the next 3/4 years, maybe more". He also stated that following his next album, he would have no more features but that he wanted to work with Burna Boy and 21 Savage. J Hus' second album Big Conspiracy×Big Conspiracy23 January 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Big Conspiracy3:392Helicopter2:343Fight for Your Right3:174Triumph2:505Play Play3:266Cucumber2:417Repeat2:338Fortune Teller2:359Reckless2:2810No Denying3:4911Must Be3:2812Love, Peace and Prosperity3:1413Deeper Than Rap4:06 was released in January 2020, and became his first number-one album.
In July 2022, he was featured on Burna Boy's song "Cloak & Dagger" off his album Love, Damini. In May 2023, he released his first song as a lead artist since 2020 with "It's Crazy". He followed this up in June with the single "Who Told You" with Drake, which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. On 29 June, he announced his third album Beautiful and Brutal Yard×Beautiful and Brutal Yard14 July 2023 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Intro (THE GOAT)2:152Massacre3:313Who Told You3:294Militerian3:145Palm Tree2:386Nice Body3:347Masculine3:258Come Look3:019Cream3:2310Comeback3:5111Alien Girl3:1212Fresh Water/Safa Kara3:5813My Baby3:5614Problem Fixer2:5115Killy3:0316It's Crazy3:4717Bim Bim2:5318Come Gully Bun (Gambian President)3:0919Playing Chess4:06 and its release date of 14 July with a trailer narrated by Idris Elba. A day before the album's release, he released the single "Militerian" with Naira Marley. Beautiful and Brutal Yard debuted at number-one on the UK Albums Chart, becoming his second chart-topper.
On 26 June 2025, it was announced that Jallow had officially left Black Butter Records to found his own label, Militér Music, in a partnership with independent record label and music distributor, Empire. In July 2025, J Hus featured as a surprise guest at Wireless Festival alongside Drake. On 29 July, it was announced that Jallow signed a global publishing deal with Concord Music Publishing for all of his future releases and copyrights worldwide. On 12 December 2025, he released Half Clip, a three song EP featuring guest apperences from Skepta and Seyi Vibez.

Legal issues

In 2011, J Hus was arrested outside Westfield following a "mass attack" on four people, which ended in one of them being stabbed. He had already received a referral order that year after being caught with a knife in public.
In 2014 and 2015, he was arrested and served stints in His Majesty's Feltham Prison. He accrued six convictions for ten offences between 2011 and 2016, including one for carrying a knife and for violent disorder. He has also been given an ASBO.
In September 2015, the musician was admitted to hospital after being stabbed five times in London. Whilst in hospital, he was criticised for posting on Instagram a photo of him making a gang sign from his hospital bed with the message "5 stab wounds could never stop me #AntiCh #F***DaOvaSide". The attack left him with mild PTSD, for which at the time of his 2018 imprisonment he was seeing a therapist.
In June 2018, he was arrested in Stratford and charged with carrying a knife in public. He was subsequently dropped from the performance line-ups of the TRNSMT and Wireless festivals. Jallow appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court on 22 June and was released on bail. On 20 July, he pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea in October and in December was sentenced to eight months in jail. When asked why he had been carrying a six-inch (150 mm) blade, J Hus said: "You know, it's Westfield."
He was eventually released on 5 April 2019 and was welcomed back by Drake, joining him on stage at the O2 Arena during Drake's UK Assassination Vacation Tour.