Overlord X

BJ, performing name Overlord X, was one of the earliest British hip hop artists to receive national acclaim in the UK, with his most well-known song still being his second single release, "14 Days in May" (Westside Records, 1988) against capital punishment. It was inspired by the experiences of Edward Earl Johnson, a man convicted and executed by the U.S though he maintained his innocence. Overloard X's first album, 'Weapon is my Lyric' also features the track 'Rough in Hackney'. This may have been a dual reference to how tough life can be in the area and a reference to UK hip hop artists forging their own identities in the late 1980s, and how the sound he was creating was as hard-hitting as anything coming from the East Coast or West Coast of America.