Jeru the Damaja

Kendrick Jeru Davis—a.k.a. Jeru the Damaja—became one of the quintessential figures in New York’s Golden Era of rap and he parlayed that success into a fruitful, diverse career. Jeru, born in 1972, first began making waves in his home borough of Brooklyn when he appeared on “I'm the Man,” a track from Gang Starr's 1992 album, Daily Operation. He began working with their producer, the legendary DJ Premier, who helmed the beats on Jeru’s 1994 debut, The Sun Rises in the East. The album became an underground favorite and heralded Jeru as one of the most exciting MCs, which he built upon on 1996’s Wrath of the Math and 1999’s Heroz4hire. Jeru was less active in the 2000s, but returned in 2021 with a bevy of new singles, including the hypnotic “The Process,” proving that his voice is as vital as the day he released his breakthrough debut.