B Young

Bertan Jafer, professionally known as B Young, was born on January 12, 1995, in Hackney, London, to Turkish Cypriot parents. His journey into music began not in front of the microphone, but behind the scenes, where he spent several years as a sound engineer. This foundational experience allowed him to cultivate a distinctive melodic rap sound, which later became a hallmark of his successful recording career. His early exposure to both dancehall and Afrobeats/Afrowave music, influenced by his Caribbean and African heritage friends, shaped his eclectic musical tastes and creative approach.

B Young’s career gained significant momentum in 2017 with the release of his debut single “London Boy” on March 10, followed by “Cash Flow” in May. A pivotal moment came with the release of “Been Wavey” on August 25, 2017, which accumulated over 11 million views on YouTube and laid the groundwork for his breakthrough. This track was instrumental in building an audience that propelled his later releases to commercial success. In 2018, B Young signed with Columbia Records, marking a significant milestone in his professional career.

The year 2018 saw B Young achieve widespread recognition with his debut studio single “Jumanji,” released on January 5. The track entered the UK chart at number 64 and climbed to a peak position of 13, spending six weeks in the top 20 and earning a 2x Platinum certification from the BPI. Following this success, “079ME” reached number 23 on the UK charts and attained Platinum status, while “Juice” peaked at number 96. His continued releases included “Gucci Demon” in 2019, which peaked at number 44 and received Silver certification, and “Wine” and “Want2” in 2020. His collaboration “Last Night” featuring Tion Wayne in August 2020, and “808” with Da Beatfreakz, DigDat, and Dutchavelli later that year, further solidified his presence in the British music scene.