Rakjay Stops By To Discuss The Importance Of MCs, The Current State Of Dubplate Culture & More
Written by: Dan Warren
Picture this: you find yourself in Kingston, Jamaica in the 1940s as the first sound systems are emerging. You witness the rise of DIY musical entertainment, joining locals in following the sound to find the party while the bass is felt throughout the streets. You hear genres that would have otherwise been prohibited on the radio. You realize just how important community is in creating these special gatherings. These early-stage sound systems were in a league of their own in bringing the music to life and the people together.
Let’s talk about one of the most critical components of sound system culture: the MC. MCs, or Master of Ceremonies, have historically been the glue that holds events together. They are the facilitators between the DJ and the crowd, providing lyrical enthusiasm that keeps the events lively and exciting. Good MCs have a special gift in knowing the tracks that are being played and reacting in real time to not only educate the crowd, but also build the hype. They are able to seamlessly flow with the beat and provide intentional lyricism that ultimately represents the identity of the sound.
I paint this long-winded picture to set the stage for an artist who, for years, has put in countless hours perfecting his craft, offering something fresh and unique to listeners, and carrying the torch of the influences that came before him. That artist is Jordan Carr, better known as Rakjay in the underground bass scene.
Rakjay is a Swiss army knife of talent hailing from Preston in the UK. Not only is he a well-respected MC in the 140/dubstep and drum & bass communities, but he is also an incredible producer and DJ. He has provided addictive bars for some notable names such as Hypho, MYTHM, Criso, ATYYA, Torcha, Don Jamal, Chief Kaya–the list goes on and on. These features have landed on popular labels such as Deadbeats, DUPLOC, DEEP MEDi, Locus Sound, Deep Dark & Dangerous, and many more. No matter what the style is, Rakjay is able to connect the listener with the music on a deeper level. When you first hear his voice on a track, you know you are getting something special.
As a producer, Rakjay’s compositions provide a diverse range of ingenuity. His precision in the 130-140 bpm range is undeniable, keeping listeners engaged and hungry for more. Whether it’s dubstep, UKG, or grime, Rakjay puts a creative twist on whatever he touches. If you scroll through his SoundCloud or Bandcamp, you’ll find a treasure trove of originals, flips, vocal edits, and more that showcase his authenticity and respect for the culture. Ever since his debut solo EP Can’t Get Away in 2018 on the Liverpool-based label M62, Rakjay has continuously turned heads with his sound. Other notable EPs that you need to check out include The Checkmate on NSX Records, Crash, and Headback, which was released on Foto Sounds last year.
Last month, Rakjay provided something a bit different than his typical made-for-clubs productions with the launch of his new hip hop project, Excursion2. The self-titled, seven-track project features that signature Rakjay flow that we know and love over a strong serving of chilled out beats. He showcases his talent in a big way by providing bars in both English and Spanish! As springtime continues to roll and the days get longer, make sure to kick back, relax, and toss on Excursion2.
The Synapse had an incredible opportunity to connect with Rakjay and chat through a number of topics, including some massive highlights from 2025, the importance of MCs, his thoughts on the current state of dubplate culture, and so much more. Check out the full conversation below and be sure to give Rakjay a follow across socials at the end of the interview! We hope you enjoy this conversation with one of the very best in the business.
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Thanks so much for taking some time to chat with The Synapse! To kick things off, I understand you grew up in a town called Preston in the UK. Tell us a little bit about the music scene in Preston and what got you interested in pursuing music. Were there particular styles or artists that got you hooked?
JC: Yo guys, thanks so much for having me! So when I first went to high school, Preston was very lively for Grime. There were a couple of crews who we looked up to like Gods and they were clashing each other with tracks that were coming out every few days, which we’d all pass around via Bluetooth on our phones. I remember one of my mate’s sister was with one of the guys from one of the crews and she had a house party that they were going to attend. Still to this day, I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about anything in my life, even though we didn’t say a word to them all night haha.
The two crews were called CCC (Clean Cut Connection) and NWS (North West Soldiers). All of us just wanted to be like them, so most people had a few bars to spit in the yard at school over some random Ruff Sqwad instrumental. But yeah, I’m proud to say it was actually people from my city who got me actively wanting to get involved in music. I found out about these guys before the likes of Dizzee and Wiley, which is mental. It was a bubble that never really extended out of our small city, but to be involved in it at the time really felt special. It felt like everyone was involved around the city and, to this day, the buzz is still unmatched.
From there, I became a proper Grime head. I used to go on Grime Forum and download all of the sets; I was mad up to date with everything that was happening and studied the genre massively. Eventually, I heard a Skream beat on a F*** radio set (“Midnight Request Line”) and a mate passed me one of his studio sets. From then on I was obsessed with Dubstep as well. But yeah, in terms of the roots of where I started, it was all thanks to what was going on in Preston.
That’s so cool to hear your interest was locally grown! A lot has changed since the early days of sound system culture (as well as the last decade) with cutting and sharing dubplates. Some of the more older heads have gone as far to say that dubplate culture is dead. While this might be a difficult question to answer, what is the current state of dubplate culture right now in your opinion? What have been some of the biggest changes in dubplate culture as the world we live in has become increasingly more digital?
JC: I think there are a lot more qualified people to talk on this topic than me, so I can only talk from my own experience. I was late to the game and a bit too young to really see people actively cutting plates (although it’s definitely still happening). But, for me, “dubplate culture” can still live on through different means in our scenes. I absolutely love hearing DJs still getting specials from MCs or Producers (the latter being even more rare these days).
Sound clashes, when they do happen (also rare), are some of the most lively and enjoyable things to happen for me. There are different forms still happening to this day. I recently took part in Beatboss10, which is a grime producer clash where people produce tracks specifically for that night only. Eight producers, one winner. Stuff like that is really fun and still feeds into sound clash culture, etc. I still like to get specials from MCs and I also record them myself for people, but it does feel like less and less people are building their armory up.
Also, I miss not knowing what tunes were being played when I was listening to the radio or going to dances. Everything now is so fast food and people in the mainstream are very safe with their sets, so there’s not really any mystery about the whole thing. There was nothing more rewarding than hearing a tune in a dance or on the radio, then searching and scratching around trying to find out what it is for months or sometimes even years before it came out. I used to love that feeling.
While the general sentiment on MCs here in the U.S. has improved over the last five years or so, I feel like many attendees across the country are still a little thrown off or confused when an MC joins a DJ for a set. Usually, this is due to a lack of understanding/knowledge regarding sound system culture. Can you talk a little bit about the importance of MCs and what they bring to the table in a live show setting? Why should Americans be more excited about MCs?
JC: As a DJ and MC, I can see both sides of the coin here. There’s actually nothing worse than an amazing set being ruined by an over-egotistical MC who just wants to scream all over the whole set for an hour (unless it’s specifically a Grime set and you’ve got a lineup of MCs barring it out). At the end of the day, hosting is a form of art in of itself, and those who know how to do it properly can add exponentially to the vibe of a set. The DJ and MC dynamic goes so far back and it should be respected.
I find myself in dances often thinking, this set could be sooo much better with an MC, where they are connecting with the crowd, filling the gaps when necessary, spitting bars at the right time, and working to build up the vibe. There are a number of MCs who do this incredibly. I’d advise people to check out people like SP:MC, Chunky, Pokes, Crazy D, G Double, etc. I think more MCs need to learn the art of hosting as it seems like it's a dying art, but I think it’s essential. I also get proper annoyed at these little nerds that go out of their way to comment on every set that has an MC on it just complaining. Go do your research, or even better, go and find one of the millions of sets or mixes without an MC on it if you care that much.
I think that’s a super fair assessment! Shifting gears a bit, 2025 was a big year for you, both as an MC and a producer. Was there a particular moment (big release, big show, etc.) that really stuck out to you? What were some additional highlights that you were proud of?
JC: My song “Collected” with Phrva and Don Jamal definitely sticks out in terms of impact. It got played all over the place by some huge names and seems to be my most successful tune to date (depending on how you define success, obviously, but that’s a debate for another day). There’s actually a funny story behind the vocal for this track, which nobody really knows about. A reasonably “big” producer asked to work with me and I wrote that chorus and sent it over to him. He then proceeded to ignore me for about six months (I still haven’t received an answer to this day!). I thought, F*** this guy, if you don’t want the vocal that’s fine, but just answer. I’m not going to take it personally. Don Jamal then gave me a shout and said he’s got this beat with Phrva that they were working on for Deadbeats. I reworked it and wrote another two verses and we made a banger within a few days!
Another big moment was releasing on Mala’s label, Deep MEDi, where I was featured on Criso’s Make Some Noise EP alongside PAV4N. This was definitely a bucket list moment for me. If you would have told 16-year old me that that would ever happen, I would’ve slapped you haha.
Outside of those two big releases, I want to give a special shout to anyone who copped my production dubpack at the back end of the year. I’ve really enjoyed the more direct process of connecting with fans when it comes to productions recently. It feels more organic and a lot of labels are a waste of time (obviously not all of them, shouts to the ones who do it proper).
You might be one of the only MCs I know who is originally from the UK, but is able to spit bars fluently in both English and Spanish, sometimes on the same track! How long did it take to eventually become comfortable with multi-lingual lyricism? What made you want to do that? What has learning a new language meant for you as an artist?
JC: Alongside music, learning Spanish has been my biggest passion. There’s a funny story behind it really. When I was 26, I woke up one day and a thought popped into my head that it would be sick to learn another language. I downloaded some podcast and I’ve literally studied every day since. I ended up going to Argentina with literally just the very basics, and the initial plan was to stay a month, travel around a little bit, and then come back. There wasn’t much research behind my choice of Argentina, I just wanted to get out of my comfort zone.
I ended up being there off and on for about two and a half years. Buenos Aires is one of the best cities in the world. The barring I was experimenting with early on in my language learning journey was never very good. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’m fluent and very confident in Spanish now, so it’s good to use it and add another dimension to the music stuff.
In terms of how long it took to become comfortable, it’s a bit of a difficult question to answer because even now, there’s still a lot to learn, so I’d never say I’m completely comfortable with it. I remember after a lot of uncomfortable situations and plugging away with studying every day, there was a moment after about eight months in Argentina where I thought, ahhh sick I’m understanding pretty much everything here. I’m trying to use it more in music as it’s definitely something pretty unique and it helps me continue to learn as well, so it’s a win-win.
That’s awesome, I am a big believer in the phrase “Never Stop Learning” and it sounds like you have lived by that every day. You have released songs with a wide range of talented producers spanning several sub genres. This might be a difficult question to answer, but is there one specific collab that when it was released you thought, “Wow, I can’t believe I actually did a song with this artist”?
JC: I’ve got some unreleased stuff with Truth, which I don’t know if it will ever come out, but that’s definitely a big one for me. Similarly, as I mentioned with the label Deep MEDi, that’s definitely a mad moment (and there might be some more stuff coming down the road as well, who knows). I also recently remixed something for the legend Silkie, which is another moment that I would have never believed when I was younger. That one is a UKG remix of one of his tracks and it’ll be coming out on Bedroom Rat Records very soon, so look out for that one! It was also mad when Jack Sparrow reached out to remix my track with Logan titled “Move From We”; he’s someone I’ve looked up to for a really long time.
Who are some of your favorite MCs and other lyricists that people here in the US need to know about?
JC: Love this question! First off, I’m gonna shout a couple people from my hometown who are criminally underrated. There’s a guy called Closey, who is an absolute don in hip hop and other styles. I’ve known since I was about 16, and even then he was making bangers. His music is absolutely incredible and he’s been consistently putting out sick projects for the last few years as well. Another guy from Preston is Gizmo; he’s proper talented and a hardworking MC who is mad diverse when it comes to what he releases. Definitely check them both out!
Other than that, some MCs who I enjoy listening to at the moment are Kibo, Strategy, Snowy, Slowie, MicOfCourse—there’s absolutely loads of them to be honest, I’d be here all day.
Definitely going to have to check out some of these names I’m unfamiliar with! You have been cooking on the release front as a producer over the last couple of years. How do you balance your time as an MC and a producer? Do you dedicate some days to strictly producing and other days strictly MCing? What has worked best for you in terms of finding that balance, while constantly staying busy?
JC: MCing has inadvertently become one of my main jobs over the last few years, so it’s something I have to spend a lot of time on regardless. This means it can be quite difficult trying to balance life as a producer as well. I actually stopped MCing when I was learning how to produce because I was absolutely obsessed with it. I did it every day for years, honing in on my craft until I took up barring again properly.
Over the last few years, I’ve still been producing a lot, but it comes in spates where I’ll make like 10 tunes in a couple months, but then I won’t touch Logic again for ages. For example, when I was preparing for Beatboss last October, I burnt myself out completely. The pressure of having to make nine tracks in just over a month was tough, so since then I haven’t really felt the urge to make anything. It will definitely come back though. I’ll open Logic, make a heater, and a load more will inevitably follow. Still though, I’ve made enough beats over the past few years to still be releasing consistently if I want to, which is good!
What are some exciting things that you’re looking forward to as an artist for the rest of 2026 (that you’re able to share)? What are some of your goals for this year and beyond?
JC: It’s kind of tough to talk about goals and stuff these days because everyone on the outside of the game just assumes that it should all be about numbers. Obviously it’s always good to have more people listening to your stuff. But for me, I love creating real connections with people who dig my stuff, so there will definitely be more of that! I’m excited to continue working with producers that I’ve looked up to. I definitely want to work with more Drum & Bass and UKG producers as well.
Also, at the beginning of March, I launched a new hip hop project called Excursion2. I wrote loads of hip hop tracks last year and I was thinking that it didn’t really fit under my Rakjay alias, so I decided to start another project where I could express myself a little bit differently without the constraints of thinking “Will this bang on a system?” It allows me to pursue something where I can use different-sounding beats. I’m looking forward to this new chapter and will definitely be using the alias a fair bit over the next few years, so it will be good to see where it goes!
Anything else our readers should know about you as an artist or just in general?
JC: If we don’t do something about the distribution of wealth across the globe and the power that billionaires possess, then the world will be more f***** than it already is. Big ups for having me guys, fully appreciate it!
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