JayDaYoungan - 23 Island

What this video is

Released August 20, 2019 as the second single from JayDaYoungan's mixtape Misunderstood, '23 Island' represents a high-water mark in the Gulf South's melodic trap wave that followed the mainstream breakthrough of artists from Louisiana and Mississippi in the late 2010s. JayDaYoungan — from Bogalusa, Louisiana — fused southern street rap delivery with R&B-inflected melody over guitar-driven trap production, placing…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of the 2019 Gulf South melodic trap moment, '23 Island' illustrates how independent Southern rappers leveraged guitar-based R&B production and emotionally vulnerable lyricism to achieve major commercial reach without major-label infrastructure. Its 2x platinum certification and…

The director

Joan Pabon is a Fort Lauderdale, FL-based music video director, editor, and cinematographer operating under Blank Square Productions. His IMDB credits span over 60 directing credits and 40 editing credits. He has directed videos for artists including King…