LOOK: One artist’s powerful journey through loss, recovery and the redemptive power of music

Ten years ago, DJ and music producer &friends lost his little brother - a devastating event that would send his life and career spiralling into silence. 

In a deeply personal and emotional social media post, the New York-based artist offered fans a timeline of that trauma and the long road back to music, healing and success.

His story, spanning a decade of pain, purpose and resilience, culminates in his first major hit, “Jackie B”, released earlier this year alongside Brent Faiyaz and Joseph (CH). 

The post isn’t just a career retrospective - it’s a vulnerable look at how grief can derail your dreams, but also how it can shape and even resurrect them.

In his post, &friends writes: 

August 2015: “After 6 years of DJing and making music, I lost my little brother. The music stopped. I quit completely.” The loss was too immense. In one moment, music - the thing that had defined him - had become unbearable. 

June 2016: To escape his grief, he uprooted his life, moving from San Diego to New York City. He joined a marketing agency simply to survive. “Music? Dead to me,” he admitted. It was no longer a passion, just a reminder of pain.

December 2018: Unexpectedly, an opportunity arose. A top NYC club invited him to DJ - the date? His brother’s birthday. “I said yes. For him.” That night, something stirred. “People felt something. I did too.”

2020: The Covid-19 pandemic hit. While building the company and working 80-hour weeks, music became his outlet again. “Every free second? I poured into music. It was the only thing keeping me sane.”

October 2021: He leapt. He left his marketing job behind. “Everyone said I lost it … Maybe I did. Maybe I was. But I couldn’t live without music anymore.”

2022: He dropped his first record, and then came “Ode Ireti” featuring El-Jay and Oluwadamvic. The track went viral after Keinemusik played it at Burning Man. “Something shifted,” he recalls. 

2023: His dream took off. He played his first international shows. He was touring - but it wasn’t easy. “Balancing health, art and business? Harder than anyone tells you. I kept going for both of us.” 

2024-2025: He debuted a new track at Coachella - “Jackie B”. The reception was electric. It went viral. Two weeks ago, he released it officially - with Brent Faiyaz and his longtime collaborator Joseph (CH). “My first big, big hit. I know the little bro is watching.”

Alongside his timeline, &friends shared a caption that brings his story full circle: “Some stories take time. 10 years ago, I quit music completely after losing my little brother. But somehow the music found its way back to me, and every step since has felt like he’s been right there with me."

"From late nights in my NYC apartment, creating non-stop with my brother Mikey, to my first show at Gospel on his birthday, to playing Coachella ... This journey has been full of detours, heartbreak and quiet moments where I almost gave up. But I kept going for both of us.”

He ends his post with a message that’s as motivational as it is heartfelt: “If your heart isn’t in it … Don’t quit. Your moment is coming.”

&friends’ story resonates with so many who have faced grief, particularly the kind that halts your life and ambition.

His decision to speak openly about death and trauma gives space to others to do the same - especially in the often glamorised world of entertainment, where struggle is frequently hidden behind the music.

If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of a loved one, it's important to seek support. In South Africa, you can contact SADAG (The South African Depression and Anxiety Group), which offers free telephonic counselling and mental health support.

SADAG helpline number: 0800 567 567.