Jaydes

Jayden Yen Dumont was born on February 24, 2006, in Pompano Beach, Florida. His father is of Haitian descent, while his mother is of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. Dumont's father was an R&B artist. As a child, Jaydes' parents often played Jodeci and Erykah Badu around the house. He grew up with a passion for music, and took piano lessons in elementary school and his early teenage years. Jaydes started releasing music and gained popularity on SoundCloud. At age 16, he stopped attending high school and switched to online learning to focus on his music career and due to controversies at school.

2019-2021: Career beginnings, Evvls, !?, and virality

In an interview with the American underground rap blog Masked Gorilla, Jaydes stated that he began making music in 2019, recording his music in Audacity, and has since recorded, mixed, and produced music in FL Studio. In 2020, Jaydes began releasing music to SoundCloud under the pseudonym "Evvls". His singles "Highschool", "Vivienne", "Trust Issues", "South", and "Clueless" would later gain traction online. His plugg songs received significant traction in 2021. Jaydes released his debut EP !? in 2021, which rose to prominence when its track "Scam Likely" went viral.

2022: Breakthrough, Romanticism, and Heartpacing

In April 2022, Jaydes released the 4-track studio EP Romanticism, and later made a guest appearance on the title track of fellow American rapper Rich Amiri's second EP, For The Better. In August 2022, Jaydes released the self-produced EP Heartpacing, which received significant attention and is considered a turning point in his career, with features from fellow rappers Riovaz and Rich Amiri. Jaydes explained in an interview with Pitchfork that he was making music based on how he felt.

2023-2024: Ghetto Cupid, Count Up Dracula, and Panic

In August 2023, Jaydes released his debut studio album, Ghetto Cupid, with the introductory track "Rose" gaining significant traction on social media platforms such as TikTok. Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork stated that the album blends plugg with shoegaze and "emo balladry", calling the combination "messy" but adding that it "works more often than not". In December 2023, his single "Belikeme?" (released under his Evvls moniker) was listed by The New York Times as one of the best songs of 2023. He started releasing music consistently in 2024, focusing on mostly raw guitar playing, releasing and teasing such music on SoundCloud under the moniker "Mandy". He collaborated with New York rapper Yuke on his song "Finesse Cult Anthem" in March 2024. On July 19, 2024, he released his second studio album, Count Up Dracula, which debuted his new punk rock sound. On October 31, he released a follow-up EP, Panic, which he stated in an interview with Masked Gorilla was recorded live in-studio.

Jaydes has referred to artists such as GG Allin, Black Kray, XXXTentacion, and Playboi Carti as his main influences. He is known for his "unique" and "soft" vocal style usually compared to the likes of Lucki and XXXTentacion, alongside the "volatility" of his emotions when singing.

His songs explore a wide variety of genres, including emo, shoegaze, SoundCloud rap, and R&B. However, his genre is often classified as plugg. Some critics have felt that Jaydes' music is a refreshing counterpoint to the often saturated characteristic of trending internet rap. He later switched from his original plugg sound to a shoegaze-oriented sound. Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork noted that Jaydes' music focuses more on vocal layering than AutoTune. He later commented on Jaydes' third EP, Heartpacing, saying it "rejoined" plugg by pairing emo quavers with the "luxurious" production classical of the style. Pierre wrote that Ghetto Cupid was similar to Lucki's musical style, and felt that the album "pulls together disparate strands, from plugg to shoegaze and emo balladry. It's messy, but it works more often than not".

In the opening track of Count Up Dracula titled "Junkie", Jaydes says, "Killed my girlfriend and it felt so good / I opened up her body and I ate her guts". These lyrics, which seemed like shock value initially, were questioned by fans and critics online after Jaydes' arrest in 2024. On November 3, 2024, a warrant for Dumont's arrest was issued by the Broward County Sheriff's Office after a report stating that Dumont had stabbed his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend in the neck and arms with scissors and a box cutter when she denied sexual intercourse. The victim was brought to a pediatric emergency room to get stitches. A week later, on November 10, 2024, 911 was called on Dumont at a Denny's in Oakland Park, Florida, when he was observed having a mental episode, wielding a knife. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder. On behalf of Dumont, his attorney filed a written not guilty plea on November 14.

Studio albums

• Ghetto Cupid (2023)
• Count Up Dracula (2024)
• Yen (2026)
• You Owe Me (2026)

As a co-headliner

• Fabulous Tour (with Rich Amiri) (2024)