JBDK

Jeremy “Jbre” Lyerson-Breland was working out at the gym on Millersville University’s campus when Dougie Kent approached him about recording a song together.

Lyerson-Breland and Kent had previously linked up to collaborate on T-shirt designs. Lyerson-Breland, a rapper who had been making mixtapes on his own, was skeptical if Kent, a singer, would follow up on his interest in working together musically.

He received a call from Kent less than a week later. Shortly after, Lyerson-Breland recorded a feature on Kent’s mixtape on the song “Forever and Always.”

“At that moment, we knew we had something,” Lyerson-Breland says.

Lyerson-Breland and Kent’s musical project JBDK will perform at and host the Lancaster Holiday Jam on Friday at Tellus360. The show will feature musical performances, DJ sets, dancers and more.

Last year, JBDK hosted a Lancaster Holiday Jam at the Chameleon Club. The event is at Tellus360 this year and is sponsored by community-minded businesses and organizations, an aspect of the event that’s important to the duo.

“We didn’t want it to be all about us,” Kent says. “We wanted it to have a purpose.”

The band first started experimenting with trap and EDM styles. Now, they feel they’ve evolved into a more mature sound. Lyerson-Breland’s speed-rapping techniques have shifted to be more melodic.

“I feel like we’re artists now. ... When I hear a song we made six years ago and I hear a song now, it’s like a night-and-day difference,” Lyerson-Breland says.

Kent drummed in the metalcore band Ace Augustine before he started making mixtapes on his own to develop his sound. He felt himself being pulled to hip-hop.

JBDK’s music is a blend of hip-hop and pop with strong hooks. Their songs often focus on relationships and emotions, which Kent says is a reflection of his personality.

“I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve,” Kent says. “I’m a very emotional guy as an artist, and I like to recognize that. I’m never ashamed of being emotional from the heart. I feel like it’s something that’s not easy to do, and I try to express that the best I can.”

That’s reflected in “Nothing Personal,” an ode to moving on without burning bridges. While the song was released in 2014, Lyerson-Breland and Kent still find the track relatable and relevant.

The song also features voicemail messages from their mothers.

“We’re just paying homage to the first ladies in our lives,” Lyerson-Breland says.

Those emotional roots are still present in the band’s latest release, “Don’t Leave,” featuring Fon$o. The song reflects on the difficulty of ending a romantic relationship, but the support and strength found by leaning on friends.

JBDK has earned some enviable gigs since its beginnings, such as opening slots for Tyga, DMX, G-Eazy and Snoop Dogg. Kent says he sent a slew of emails daily to promoters and talent bookers nationwide.

“A lot of it had to do with persistence,” Kent says.

Kent and Lyerson-Breland have no plans to tone down that intensity.

“When you have two people who are driven and want to accomplish things in life and really truly grab life by the horns and just run with it, that’s the reason why I think we’re so successful,” Lyerson-Breland says.

“That’s why I think we mesh well. That’s why I think we’ve come so far, because we don’t give up.” - Lancaster Online