This month we are chattin’ to Def Jef. English rapper, living in the big city of New York!
Def Jef, where did your stage name come from?
Well, the ‘Jef’ part is quite obvious. As you should know my name is Jefferey, for my closest friends I’m Jef.
The ‘Def’ part however is not what you think it is. In the rap culture, the word def is simply a slang equivalent of 'great', 'ill', 'dope' etc. However, most people don’t know that I am deaf on my left ear, as you can imagine, it’s quite difficult being in a music industry with a partial hearing.
How do you cope with such a disability, in everyday life?
First of all I wouldn’t call it a disability. I’m not completely deaf. My right ear is completely fine. And I’m doing just fine, I can do what every healthy person can do, and I definitely won’t let my defects bring me down! I worked too hard.
I know the question is quite inappropriate, but would you like to tell us how you lost the hearing in one of your ears?
Oh don’t worry! I’m cool with it. Unfortunately I don’t have a great gangsta story to tell you. I didn’t loose my hearing in a ‘cool way’.
I have Ménière's disease, it’s a disorder of the inner ear. I was young and poor when they diagnosed me. My family didn’t have the money to cure it and all that we could was delay it.
I started to lose hearing day by day, and one day I couldn’t hear anything. I always say to myself that it could be worse. Sorry to disappoint anyone who though that I lost it in a gunfight or something haha.
Is your family musical? I, personally tried to do little research but I couldn’t find anything, and it’s hard to believe that someone like you has no musical relatives.
Nah man, none of my relatives are a good musicians. They are interested in music sure, but I swear to God if one of them starts singing, or even playing an instruments I just walk out of the room haha.
You are quite a big hit now, with a lot of jealous haters around you. How do you cope with them?
I keep getting new haters but the number of them ain’t increasing. That’s cuz my old haters are becoming my fans, man. You see what I mean. I don’t stress bout them at all, if they hate than fair enough, but I’d rather be hated for who I am than to be loved for who I’m not.
Are you planing on staying in the NY or maybe moving back to your home in London?
I always wanted to get out of England. There was no chance for me to success there. I’m happy I left and I ain’t planning to move back to London although I think that a tour around the UK is a must be haha.
My home is now in New York! The most important people in my life are with me. I’ve got all I need man, you see what I mean.
You are not like some of the modern rappers, bragging about weed and bitches. You talk about real stuff, everyday struggles of the normal people. Were there any particular artists, records from the past that influenced you?
My favourite rapper of all times that influenced my style, the way I am is Lesane Crooks. Y’all probably wondering who that is haha. This is the name that Tupac was given at birth, barely anyone knows that.
His music was different, he was taking things further than all the other rappers at the time. He was pushing it to the next level as far as giving feeling to his words and his music. The way he chose which words to say with which beat was genius. It seems like he knew what part of the beat and what chord change was the perfect place to hit these certain words to make us feel what he was saying. He was a genius.
Are there any new single releases coming? Maybe an album that you would want to tell us about?
I don’t want to reveal any secrets. Stay tuned and you will find out. All I can say that whatever comes out, you won’t be disappoint with it.
