Jay Electronica, Artist Info

Jay Electronica joins Roc Nation: "Stars aligned like cars at Grand Central Station"

Eternal Sunshine: Act 1 (The Pledge) was released under no particular label, with no information to accompany it on the Myspace page of an unknown rapper called Jay Electronica one day in 2008.

On November 12^th, 2010, icon Jay-Z announces that Jay Electronica is the newest member/signee of Roc Nation, his record label.

Signed to the record label of the biggest name in Hip-hop, the New Orleans native has yet in his career had an official release, or a true album. You may be wondering what all the hype is about, but that means you haven’t listened to “Act 1” yet.

“Act 1” and his first mixtape, appropriately named “What the F*ck is a Jay Electronica” have inspired many (including myself) to become downright star-struck by the artist, and more importantly- the man.

Strangely enough, the most interesting part about Mr. Electronica, is how little is really known about him, despite his deal with Roc Nation, and his legendary status as a lyricist. An intelligent master of his craft, he despises popular hip-hop and has called it “whack” in every way imaginable. Jay Electronica has the talent to encompass the future of hip-hop, music, and even in my opinion, the entire subculture, but the question that will always remain in focus is his dedication to music. Badu has been quoted to say that she doubts he will ever truly release a “full album.” It comes as no surprise that someone who seems to be so worldly is probably busy discovering the world instead of in a recording booth (his tumbler account eyeofelectronica.com shows him trekking across the desert on a camel, and laying next to a pyramid)

However, my interest in the album and Jay Electronica would be extrapolated by ten fold, once I began to delve into the ever-expanding mystery of “who is Jay Electronica?” As I read and research, my discoveries began to make me ponder whether this man truly was of a supernatural realm. He was born in the worst project in New Orleans, spent a large chunk of his life as a homeless man, produced “Queens get the Money” (one of my favorite Nas songs), stumbles over his words in every interview, courts with the also mysterious Erykah Badu, and had never even created a true release- song or album. Every picture of this guy put him in a land far away (Egypt, Nepal, etc.) with natives or monks whom all seemed to be praising him.

The best part about my research was that, seemingly everywhere you looked on the Internet, the only stories about Jay Electronica were ones that came up short in a valiant search for his origin, or explanation of greatness. Had I just found the musical messiah? The actual messiah? Keyser Soze? Since there was no explanation for the urban legend that is Jay Electronica, all I could do was rewind “Act 1” and create my own.

 

Sources:

1. http://dreamhamptonarticles.blogspot.com/2011/04/jay-electronica-bio-2007.html

2. http://www.last.fm/music/Jay+Electronica/+wiki