Jayden Yen Dumont (born February 24, 2006) known professionally as Jaydes (stylized in all lowercase), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and songwriter. He gained popularity in the underground hip-hop scene in the early 2020s from social media and streaming platforms such as TikTok and SoundCloud.
Born in Pompano Beach, Florida, Jaydes spent most of his childhood in Fort Lauderdale. He began writing music after he stopped attending high school and switched to online learning and soon started his music career on SoundCloud under the name Evvls. He is credited with the support of the popularization of the PluggnB genre in 2021.
Early life
Dumont was born on February 24, 2006 in Pompano Beach, Florida,[1] to a Haitian father and a Dominican mother and was raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with two older sisters.[2] His father was an R&B artist. As a child, he recalled listening to Jodeci, and Erykah Badu from his parents.[1] He grew up with a passion for music, and started playing and writing music at a very young age.[1]
He took piano lessons in elementary school and in his early teenage years, and he spent his free time playing soccer until he was 13.[1] At 16, he stopped attending high school and switched to online learning in favor of making music, and also due to controversies at school.[1]
Career
2019–2021: Career beginnings, "Evvls," Virality & !?
In an interview with Masked Gorilla, Dumont stated that he began recording music in 2019, claiming he recorded this music in Audacity,[3] which he has since-then recorded, mixed, and produced his music in FL Studio.[3] In 2020, Jaydes began releasing music to SoundCloud under the name of "evvls".[4][5] He is best known for his soft vocals, and the support of the popularization of the PluggnB genre in 2021.[1] His singles "Highschool," "Vivienne," "Trust Issues," and "Clueless," would later gain traction online.[5][6] On December 31, 2021, Jaydes would release his debut extended play (EP) !?, with the track "Scam Likely" going viral.[7]
2022: Breakthrough, Romanticism & Heartpacing
On April 30, 2022, Jaydes released his 4-track studio EP, Romanticism, which became a well-known project in his career. This project was met with positive criticism, with users online praising the project for the angel-like vocals, acoustic guitar playing, and fusion of his PluggnB sound. Although, due to the EP's extremely short length, listeners criticized the project over this, similar to his previous EP, !?. On August 14, 2022, Jaydes released his self-produced extended play (EP), Heartpacing,[8][9] which gained significant traction, and was considered a turning point in his career.[9] This 9-track EP features fellow artists within the underground, Riovaz & Rich Amiri. This project features more of the PluggnB rap sound that he is best known for.
2023–2024: Ghetto Cupid, Bipolar, Count Up Dracula, Panic
On August 16, 2023, Jaydes released his debut studio album, Ghetto Cupid,[10][11] with Rose, the introductory track gaining traction,[11] which was met with mixed reviews. A critic from Pitchfork recalled "the project pulls together disparate strands, from plugg to shoegaze and emo balladry", "It's messy, but it works more often than not."[12] On August of the same year, the first release under his "Mandy" allias was uploaded on SoundCloud, a 9 track EP called "girlypunk dont repost". In December 2023, his single belikeme? (released under Evvls) was listed by The New York Times as one of the best songs of 2023.[13]
Jaydes started releasing music consistently in 2024, focusing on mostly raw guitar playing, releasing and teasing such music on SoundCloud released under Mandy.[12] On April 13th, Jaydes released the 6-track EP Bipolar on SoundCloud, and later uploading to streaming platforms on May 8th. By summer of 2024, his production drastically changed to be primarily punk-focused.[14] On July 19, 2024, he released his second studio album, Count Up Dracula,[15][16] which debuted his new punk rock sound. On October 31, 2024, he released a follow-up studio EP, Panic,[15] which he claimed in an interview that he recorded this material live in-studio.[3]
Lyrical concerns
In the opening track of Count Up Dracula titled junkie, Dumont says, "Killed my girlfriend and it felt so good," [16] followed by the line, "I opened up her body and I ate her guts." These lyrics, which seemed like shock value initially, have been questioned by listeners after Dumont was arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in 2024.[15][17] The resurfacing lyrics have intensified suspicion Jaydes' recent music, with many listeners interpreting his violent lyrics as a warning to his alleged crime.[16]
Alphonse Pierre writing for Pitchfork had declared that Jaydes music focuses more on vocal layering than auto-tune.[18] Pierre had commented on Jaydes' third extended play, Heartpacing, saying it "rejoined" plugg by pairing emo quavers with the luxurious production classical of [the style].[12] He also found Ghetto Cupid to be similar to the musical style of Lucki 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".[12]
Legal issues
On November 3, 2024, a warrant for Dumont's arrest was issued by the Broward County Sheriff's Office after a report allegedly 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.[17][20] The victim was later brought to a pediatric emergency room to get stitches.[15] A week later, on November 10, 2024, 9-1-1 was called on Dumont at a Denny's in Oakland Park, Florida, when he was observed having a mental episode, wielding a knife.[17] He was arrested at 3:28a.m. local time, and was charged with attempted murder.[17][21][22] On November 14, Jaydes' attorney filed a written plea declaring the defendant not guilty.[15]
As of December 12, 2024, Dumont's arrest charge of attempted murder was changed to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was then held on a bond of $10,000,[23] along with being placed on pre-trial release,[23] which includes wearing an ankle bracelet to monitor his location as part of his release up until his jury trial.[23][24] On January 24, 2025, Dumont was arrested in New Jersey after breaking his bond conditions. He was extradited back to Florida on February 8, 2025.
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