Brooklyn's uncompromising voice
Jeru The Damaja
From East New York to international acclaim, Kendrick Jeru Davis forged a career defined by razor‑sharp lyricism, moral clarity, and streets‑smart poetry.
Breakthrough singles like "Come Clean" and his DJ Premier‑produced debut The Sun Rises in the East (1994) crystallized a sound with sparse, percussive boom‑bap and muscular storytelling that influenced generations of MCs
Brooklyn's uncompromising voice
Jeru The Damaja
From East New York to international acclaim, Kendrick Jeru Davis forged a career defined by razor‑sharp lyricism, moral clarity, and streets‑smart poetry.
Breakthrough singles like "Come Clean" and his DJ Premier‑produced debut The Sun Rises in the East (1994) crystallized a sound with sparse, percussive boom‑bap and muscular storytelling that influenced generations of MCs
From East New York to international acclaim, Jeru The Damaja forged a career defined by razor‑sharp lyricism, moral clarity, and streets‑smart poetry.
Made in Portugal
Available in two sizes - S and L
1970s–1991
Jeru
Kendrick Jeru Davis grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, where he cut his teeth in block parties and local crews. Early experiences on the block and in the cipher shaped Jeru’s hard-edged, disciplined approach to lyricism.
The Sun Rises in the East
Jeru first appeared on the wider scene as part of the Gang Starr Foundation. Most notably on the Gang Starr track "I'm the Man", before dropping his own breakthrough single "Come Clean," produced by DJ Premier.
In 1994 he released his acclaimed debut album, The Sun Rises in the East, which established him as a voice of hip-hop’s golden era.
mid‑1990s
Wrath of the Math
Following his debut, Jeru continued with albums like Wrath of the Math and Heroz4Hire, cementing a reputation for dense lyricism, uncompromising themes, and a sound rooted in boom‑bap tradition. His work in this period influenced a generation of lyricists and producers who valued clarity of message and production quality.
now
Legacy and impact
Jeru The Damaja remains a touchstone for MCs who prioritize lyricism and authenticity.
His early collaborations with DJ Premier and membership in the Gang Starr Foundation anchored him in the tradition of New York boom‑bap while his later independent approach models alternative ways for artists to sustain careers.
Recent projects, physical releases and community-driven drops keep his catalogue and voice active among devoted hip‑hop audiences.