Banbury rapper's new single is a candid reflection on losing his job and isolation in lockdown - and why we should talk more openly about it

A rapper from Banbury has released his latest single, which sees him candidly open up about losing his job during the national lockdown.

In the autobiographical song Doing OK, rising alternative hip-hop star Jack Bushrod - known as BUSHROD - admits to having maintained the pretence among friends that everything was going swimmingly at work, despite being made redundant and instead investing his time into wholesome new hobbies including spirituality and tending plants.

The ironically titled track serves as the artist’s first offering since his sophomore mixtape Twentyhood, which was released back in March.

Having already supported chart-topping rapper Professor Green in his hometown of Banbury, the emergent lyricist has gone on to collaborate with leading brands including Barbour, Penguin, Stussy and Lyle & Scott.

BUSHROD, who is from Banbury and now lives in Brixton, said: “The song stems from when I lost my day job at the start of the pandemic.

"I felt quite isolated but made out I was totally fine. I think it’s so ingrained in British culture, when someone asks how you’re doing, you just reply ‘yeah, I’m great thanks’ even if you’re not.

“In a way I was trying to keep up appearances and putting on a ‘poker face’, because I was scared that people would judge me for not working or doing much with myself during lockdown.

"Me releasing this song is kind of a ‘**** you’ to self-doubt and almost getting my own back on my old workplace for cutting me off, and showing people that I now actually am doing bigger and better things."

Click here to watch the video of Doing OK.