JOHKES Turns Survival Into Sound on Peace I Can’t Wake To

For some artists, songwriting is a form of expression. For Lincoln-based rapper and songwriter JOHKES, it has become something much deeper: a way to process trauma, confront grief and make sense of a life permanently changed by a devastating accident.

Originally from Leicester, JOHKES began writing music at just nine years old. His style combines emotionally direct storytelling, melodic hooks and flashes of dark humour, allowing him to move between deeply personal experiences and observations about life with an unmistakably honest voice.

A major turning point came in 2023, when a serious road traffic accident left JOHKES in a coma and tetraplegic. The accident also affected his breathing and vocal control, creating an enormous challenge for an artist whose voice is central to his identity.

Rather than allowing the experience to silence him, JOHKES began rebuilding. During rehabilitation in Sheffield, speech therapy and music therapy helped him regain control of his delivery. Throughout the process, he continued writing and creating music, eventually transforming his recovery into a new chapter of his artistic career.

That journey now forms the emotional foundation of his forthcoming album, Peace I Can’t Wake To, scheduled for release on 24 September 2026 through his independent label, The JOHKER Records.

The 14-track album takes an unusual perspective on survival. Instead of presenting the coma as the darkest point of his story and waking as the moment of salvation, JOHKES explores the peace he remembers from unconsciousness—and the complicated reality he returned to. The result is a deeply personal project centred on recovery, family, guilt, forgiveness, grief, identity and fatherhood.

Tracks such as “Karma In The Coma” explore the idea that the coma itself may have represented a form of karma, while “I’m Still Your Brother” examines family relationships, guilt and hospital memories. “I Forgive You” confronts the emotional consequences of the crash, while “What A Day!” finds humour in the strange and sometimes absurd realities of life in intensive care.

That balance between pain and comedy is central to JOHKES’ identity. Even the track titles, including “My Squirrel My Koala Bear” and “Paid To Put Up With Me,” reveal an artist unwilling to let trauma completely consume his music.

The album features Kara Rose on “Karma In The Coma” and “I’m Still Your Brother,” while Aimee Clark appears on “What A Day!” and “Paid To Put Up With Me.” JOHKES wrote, produced and performed the rest of the project himself.

With influences and comparisons ranging from Eminem, NF and Juice WRLD to Ren and Post Malone, JOHKES occupies a space where emotional rap, melodic songwriting and personal storytelling meet.

For listeners discovering him for the first time, “Lost Boy,” “Umbrella” and “Forget You” offer an introduction to his sound, with “Forget You” also appearing on the forthcoming album.

Peace I Can’t Wake To is more than a record about an accident. It is a document of survival, a reflection on what happens after the headlines fade, and a reminder that sometimes healing means learning how to live with the person you became after everything changed.

Spotify:

Private album stream:

https://on.soundcloud.com/lCLA1Vr4IMsXqZ04Mi

Instagram: @johkes247

TikTok: @thejohker