Student is a 3x threat: tennis player, double major, rapper

Junior Jesse Feder said that many students on campus recognize him as a tennis player or a business and history double major. But they also may know him as the guy that raps at parties, he said.

Feder said he had created his own rap persona, "Edikit," when he was 15 years old. After three years of recording in a professional studio and a few shelved projects, Feder released his first official mix tape "Imagination at Work" on Jan. 6, 2012, he said.

Feder recorded the mix tape's 13 songs between August and December 2011, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., his hometown, he said. He used eight producers and bought exclusive rights to the beats, he said.

"In a lot of my tracks, I don't focus on what a lot of the mainstream focuses on today," he said. "I'm not much for materialism. And for this, I've gotten a lot of good feedback from friends and random people around the States that like my Facebook page."

Feder said telling stories through his lyrics was the reason he rapped and was what separated him from current popular artists.

"The theme today is 'get money'," Feder said. "How can everyone relate to that? They can't."

Junior Pat Argenio said Feder's passion was conveyed through his lyrics.

"I think he does a great job saying what is important to him, while disregarding trends in current rap music," Argenio said. "He really believes in what he sings about. He's an artist."

He said Feder based his lyrics off of personal experiences. At Richmond, Feder said he had found inspiration in unexpected places.

Feder said he had been inspired last year by a history class, Communism 399.

"We were learning about what it meant to be altruistic," Feder said. "So I wrote a couple of songs that encompassed Marxist ideas."

Feder said his social adventures at Richmond - from failed relationships to parties - had influenced his lyrics. One song, "The Empty Crush," discusses an on-and-off relationship with a foreign exchange student that has ended poorly, Feder said. He said his favorite song was "Why I'll Succeed." The song focuses on making his grandmother - his closest family member - proud, he said.

"Writing lyrics alleviates stress and helps me put things in perspective," he said.

For junior Jack Checca, Feder's song "Essence," was particularly poignant.

"While studying abroad in Spain, Jesse's song "Essence" became one of my most played songs on iTunes," Checca said. "It was a good reminder of Richmond while I was 3,000 miles away."

Feder said a particularly shining moment had been performing his song "Fantasy and Reality" at a talent show at the Greek Theatre last October.

"I was the very last act to go, and it was my first time performing. As I came out of Gray, I heard my friends in the crowd chanting 'Edikit,'" Feder said. "I'm quite anxious to do it again. I love to entertain."

To promote his music, Feder said he relied on his "Band Profile" Facebook page and various music websites, including DatPiff and GoodMusicAllDay. He said his favorite artists include Tupac, Blu and Reks.

Feder said that he eventually hoped to be signed to an independent label. In the mean time, he would like to perform as an opening act at Pig Roast, he said.

"I'm not going to be a cookie-cutter, ring tone artist," he said. "I want to change the face of the game."

Junior Zach Correa was Feder's photographer for his newest mix tape. Correa said that Feder's motivation was unwavering, and the biggest challenge Feder faced was breaking the creative barrier that would set him apart in the music industry.

"But for him now, it's just a matter of finding a break," Correa said.

Contact reporter Jenna Robinson at jenna.robinson@richmond.edu