Tuesday May 27th 2025
Councillor Euan Jardine, who became leader of SBC in 2022, has put out his first release, ‘Little Man’
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
The leader of Scottish Borders Council has surprised colleagues and constituents alike by releasing a rap record.
Councillor Euan Jardine, who became leader of SBC in 2022, has put out his first release, ‘Little Man’, ahead of a full album, entitled ‘Shepherd’s Son’, to be released later this year.
The Conservative representative for Galashiels – who performs under the name Euan J – acknowledges that many will have been caught off-guard by the release.
But he is keen to state it is no gimmick as he has had a love of rap and lyricism for quarter of a century.
Euan said: “I’ve been rapping on and off since 2000. I stopped in 2011 and the only reason I stopped, believe it or not, was because my microphone broke. I have always had a love of words and lyricism.
“The passion was still there but it gets put aside. Obviously I love public speaking and I really enjoy words and at the end of last year I decided to start writing rhymes more seriously and I caught myself writing on the train.
“I’d always wanted to make an album called ‘Shepherd’s Son’, basically because my dad, who passed away in 2017, was a shepherd and I’m a Christian and Jesus was a Good Shepherd, so it has a double meaning.
“I am the leader of the council but I’ve always done this. The lyrics have layers and double meanings, there are metaphors, similes and different rhyming schemes. It’s not basic.
“My part of rap is lyricism and hopefully what I have done will encourage other people to take on something maybe they have stopped doing when they were younger.
“I don’t believe in stereotypes and anybody can be what they want to be. I think this is a great way to express yourself. It’s an escapism and totally separate from work, from politics and local government. It’s a nice way to release stress.
“I have found that the rhymes are coming easier as I have a lot more life experience.”
Euan, who is five feet one tall, explained the origins of the opening track ‘Little Man’, which contains the refrain: “You’re a Big Man, I’m a Little Man, but I’ll still leave you brittle Fam”.
He said: “Obviously I’m a little man, but it’s not based on me. It based on the fact that no matter what society says feel free to jump outside that. Don’t be put in a box by the bigger person.”
Euan’s raps are not political in any way but do offer an opportunity to “talk up the south of Scotland and Scotland”, adding: “But hopefully to it in a way which is lyrical and layered.
“Little Man references Ronnie Corbett and Still Game with Jack and Victor with the last six bars about Scotland in 1966 if we’d won the World Cup. The last line is ‘and the ironic trait is when you’re Scottish, you don’t even think you’re that great’.”
Listen to ‘Little Man’ below
