Jay Electronica
Encyclopedia
Timothy Elpadaro Thedford (born September 19, 1976), better known by his stage name Jay Electronica, is an American
hip hop
recording artist and record producer
. Perhaps one of the most highly acclaimed rappers of the 2000s, Jay Electronica first gained significant attention after the release of the musical composition Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), made available on a MySpace
page in 2007. It is nine continuous minutes of music, without drums, built from Jon Brion
's soundtrack to the film
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
. In late 2009 he released two songs, both produced by Just Blaze
, "Exhibit A (Transformations)
" and "Exhibit C
" the latter of which won won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic
. On November 12, 2010, it was announced Jay Electronica had become an official member of Jay-Z
's Roc Nation
record label.
of New Orleans, a place where the crime rate was infamous throughout the country before 2005, when the projects were flooded during Hurricane Katrina
. Thedford began rapping after hearing with his nephew Akeem Pryor and by the age of 19, Jay Electronica left New Orleans to pursue his musical career. Living a mostly nomadic
lifestyle, he found refuge in cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore
, Detroit, New York
, and Atlanta. From club to club, and stage to stage, Electronica had gotten booed off and denied because of his Southern accent and slang. "In my earlier years from when I first left home, I was embarrassed from being from the South," Thedford stated. "Not in general, but as a rapper because all of the negative things that people in the States put on the South." Electronica’s career really took form in the city of Detroit when he linked up with Detroit native Johnnie Last, a friend he had spent a lot of time with at Darp Studios in Atlanta, GA. Detroit is where Electronica met producer/engineer Mike "Chav" Chavarria, who introduced him to both J. Dilla and Mr. Porter, and who is now a regular collaborator. Detroit, where he recorded his Style Wars-era music with several J. Dilla beats, meeting the producer subsequently to ask for permission to use the recordings as a demo. Electronica really started to gain a little notoriety at this time because of his work with J. Dilla.
's soundtrack to the film
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
. There are five segments or movements marked by changes in music and mood, raps by Electronica, and occasional snippets of sampled dialogue including scenes from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
. The first segment is a spoken word piece by Just Blaze and Erykah Badu
describing Electronica over piano music.
The nature of the piece of music, along with the nature of its appearance, led to a slow build-up of interest in Electronica as an enigmatic figure. Songs circulating online as the Style Wars EP gained wider circulation, and other songs, such as the dream-inspired "Dimethyltryptamine", soon appeared. In January 2008, Giles Peterson's 90-minute Gilles Peterson Worldwide was devoted to the rapper. Hiphopdx.com in 2008 called him "arguably...the most talked about new emcee last year ... at times...more like a myth or urban legend than an actual rapper", and URB ran a cover story on the artist under the banner "Jay Electronica: A Spotless Mind :: An MC’s mystery revealed", which referred to his wanderings as his being "like some sort of hip-hop Jack Kerouac
".
Jeff Weiss' piece for the L.A. Weekly, "Jay Electronica: Much Better Than His Name Would Suggest", acknowledged that the rapper could be fairly described as "one of the most buzzed about rappers of 2008", but attempted to temper the hype somewhat, describing Act 1... as "ambitious, wildly original, if not slightly pretentious", while endorsing only to an extent the comparisons URB had made (referencing an "abstract rhyming style") to rappers like Nas
and Pharoahe Monch
.
" and "Exhibit C
", which won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic. His music so far has been made available through the internet, either through being leaked to what URB magazine describes as "obscure web forums", or through an appearing and disappearing Myspace
page (currently two seem to be in existence, at /jayelect and at /jayelectronica). Erykah Badu has questioned whether he ever will release, in her words, "actual albums".
From New Orleans, LA he has lived in Baltimore
, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
, Denver, and Detroit, where he recorded his Style Wars-era music with several J Dilla
beats, meeting the producer subsequently to ask for permission to use the recordings as a demo. Detroit is where Electronica met producer/engineer Mike "Chav" Chavarria, who introduced him to both J Dilla
and Mr. Porter, and who is now a regular collaborator.
According to URB, Act II: Patents of Nobility will feature Nas, and will be the second of a putative trilogy. URB also reported that digital EPs with both Guilty Simpson
and producer 9th Wonder
were planned. According to a Filter TV interview, Jay Electronica has partnered with Decon to release his debut project. It is being described as a multi-media release and footage from the project which was partially shot in Nepal and Dubai has begun to surface online. The first clip to leak is titled "Dear Moleskine" and can be found on YouTube
, the track was produced by Just Blaze and the clip was directed by Jason Goldwatch
from Decon
. In June 2009, Decon and Jay's "The Dogon Society" released "Exhibit A
" digitally. "Exhibit C
" was released on iTunes December 16, 2009 and quickly shot to the top 10 of the iTunes
Hip-Hop charts. The following week it was chosen by Hot 97's Dj Enuff as the Heavy Hitter pick of the week.
Jay Electronica appeared at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival
. Jay Electronica continued his scattered release practice, releasing "A Million In The Morning" on April 4, 2010. The song features a weary Electronica trying to keep himself awake to escape his nightmares. On April 30, Jay Electronica debuted "The Ghost of Christopher Wallace" via his Twitter. The song features P Diddy and is produced by London beatsmith Quincey Tones, who is known for producing such acts as Young Jeezy
and Royce da 5'9".
On November 12, 2010, Jay-Z
announced that Jay Electronica was officially the newest member of his own 'Roc Nation' record label/management company, which boasts such acts as J. Cole, and Willow Smith
. Before signing to Roc Nation in 2010, Jay Electronica was a prospective signee of Bad Boy Records, a label owned by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In late 2010, he and Lucy Liu
were featured on The Bullitts
' track "Close Your Eyes". It was BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe's 'record of the week' and will feature on The Bullits upcoming album set for release in 2011. Then in July 2011, he produced and was featured on the track "Run & Hide", which will be on the same album.
In July 2011, Jay Electronica posted via his twitter that his debut album, "Act II: Patents Of Nobility (the turn)," was complete. On October 10, 2011, Jay Electronica released the song Call Of Duty, featuring Prodigy
from Mobb Deep
. He stated that this single would not be on his album.
have one child together, Mars Merkaba Thedford, born on February 1, 2009. He is a member of the Five Percent Nation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
recording artist and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Perhaps one of the most highly acclaimed rappers of the 2000s, Jay Electronica first gained significant attention after the release of the musical composition Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), made available on a MySpace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page in 2007. It is nine continuous minutes of music, without drums, built from Jon Brion
Jon Brion
Jon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
's soundtrack to the film
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (soundtrack)
The soundtrack album for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was released by Hollywood Records on March 16, 2004. It features the score, composed by Los Angeles musician Jon Brion, as well as songs from artists E.L.O., The Polyphonic Spree, The Willowz, and Don Nelson. Beck, in a collaboration...
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science fiction film about an estranged couple who have each other erased from their memories, scripted by Charlie Kaufman and directed by the French director, Michel Gondry. The film uses elements of science fiction, psychological...
. In late 2009 he released two songs, both produced by Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
, "Exhibit A (Transformations)
Exhibit A (Transformations)
"Exhibit A " is a single by Jay Electronica recorded in 2008 and released on iTunes on June 23, 2009. The song is featured on the soundtrack to EA Sports Fight Night Round 4....
" and "Exhibit C
Exhibit C
"Exhibit C" is a single by American rap artist Jay Electronica released to iTunes on December 22, 2009, as an EP with explicit, clean and instrumental versions.-Background:...
" the latter of which won won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic
Sucker Free
Sucker Free, known as Sucker Free Daily on weekdays and then Sucker Free Countdown on Sundays, is MTV2's sole hip-hop video block. Previously, Sucker Free aired weekdays for one hour, then eventually sporadically until the week leading to February 28, 2010. Sucker Free Countdown, its 2 hour top 15...
. On November 12, 2010, it was announced Jay Electronica had become an official member of Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Roc Nation
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an American management, music publishing and entertainment company founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.-History:In April 2008, Live Nation partnered with Jay-Z to create Roc Nation...
record label.
Early life and career beginnings
Thedford was born on September 19, 1976, in the Magnolia ProjectsMagnolia Projects
The Magnolia Projects, officially the C.J. Peete Projects, was one of the Housing Projects of New Orleans. As part of the ongoing redevelopment, the area has been renamed Harmony Oaks. The project was among the largest, housing approximately 2,100 people...
of New Orleans, a place where the crime rate was infamous throughout the country before 2005, when the projects were flooded during Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. Thedford began rapping after hearing with his nephew Akeem Pryor and by the age of 19, Jay Electronica left New Orleans to pursue his musical career. Living a mostly nomadic
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
lifestyle, he found refuge in cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Detroit, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Atlanta. From club to club, and stage to stage, Electronica had gotten booed off and denied because of his Southern accent and slang. "In my earlier years from when I first left home, I was embarrassed from being from the South," Thedford stated. "Not in general, but as a rapper because all of the negative things that people in the States put on the South." Electronica’s career really took form in the city of Detroit when he linked up with Detroit native Johnnie Last, a friend he had spent a lot of time with at Darp Studios in Atlanta, GA. Detroit is where Electronica met producer/engineer Mike "Chav" Chavarria, who introduced him to both J. Dilla and Mr. Porter, and who is now a regular collaborator. Detroit, where he recorded his Style Wars-era music with several J. Dilla beats, meeting the producer subsequently to ask for permission to use the recordings as a demo. Electronica really started to gain a little notoriety at this time because of his work with J. Dilla.
2007-2010: Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) and signing with Roc Nation
Jay Electronica first gained significant attention through Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), made available on a MySpace page in 2007. It is nine continuous minutes of music, without drums, built from Jon BrionJon Brion
Jon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
's soundtrack to the film
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (soundtrack)
The soundtrack album for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was released by Hollywood Records on March 16, 2004. It features the score, composed by Los Angeles musician Jon Brion, as well as songs from artists E.L.O., The Polyphonic Spree, The Willowz, and Don Nelson. Beck, in a collaboration...
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science fiction film about an estranged couple who have each other erased from their memories, scripted by Charlie Kaufman and directed by the French director, Michel Gondry. The film uses elements of science fiction, psychological...
. There are five segments or movements marked by changes in music and mood, raps by Electronica, and occasional snippets of sampled dialogue including scenes from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
. The first segment is a spoken word piece by Just Blaze and Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
describing Electronica over piano music.
The nature of the piece of music, along with the nature of its appearance, led to a slow build-up of interest in Electronica as an enigmatic figure. Songs circulating online as the Style Wars EP gained wider circulation, and other songs, such as the dream-inspired "Dimethyltryptamine", soon appeared. In January 2008, Giles Peterson's 90-minute Gilles Peterson Worldwide was devoted to the rapper. Hiphopdx.com in 2008 called him "arguably...the most talked about new emcee last year ... at times...more like a myth or urban legend than an actual rapper", and URB ran a cover story on the artist under the banner "Jay Electronica: A Spotless Mind :: An MC’s mystery revealed", which referred to his wanderings as his being "like some sort of hip-hop Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
".
Jeff Weiss' piece for the L.A. Weekly, "Jay Electronica: Much Better Than His Name Would Suggest", acknowledged that the rapper could be fairly described as "one of the most buzzed about rappers of 2008", but attempted to temper the hype somewhat, describing Act 1... as "ambitious, wildly original, if not slightly pretentious", while endorsing only to an extent the comparisons URB had made (referencing an "abstract rhyming style") to rappers like Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
and Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch
Pharoahe Monch is an American hip hop artist. He is known for his complex lyrics, complex delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.-Biography:...
.
2010-present: Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn)
Jay Electronica has yet to release a full-length album, but he has released two official singles to date, "Exhibit AExhibit A (Transformations)
"Exhibit A " is a single by Jay Electronica recorded in 2008 and released on iTunes on June 23, 2009. The song is featured on the soundtrack to EA Sports Fight Night Round 4....
" and "Exhibit C
Exhibit C
"Exhibit C" is a single by American rap artist Jay Electronica released to iTunes on December 22, 2009, as an EP with explicit, clean and instrumental versions.-Background:...
", which won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic. His music so far has been made available through the internet, either through being leaked to what URB magazine describes as "obscure web forums", or through an appearing and disappearing Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page (currently two seem to be in existence, at /jayelect and at /jayelectronica). Erykah Badu has questioned whether he ever will release, in her words, "actual albums".
From New Orleans, LA he has lived in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Denver, and Detroit, where he recorded his Style Wars-era music with several J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
beats, meeting the producer subsequently to ask for permission to use the recordings as a demo. Detroit is where Electronica met producer/engineer Mike "Chav" Chavarria, who introduced him to both J Dilla
J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
and Mr. Porter, and who is now a regular collaborator.
According to URB, Act II: Patents of Nobility will feature Nas, and will be the second of a putative trilogy. URB also reported that digital EPs with both Guilty Simpson
Guilty Simpson
Byron Simpson, better known by his stage name Guilty Simpson is a rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He was previously known as Guilt. Over time, he saw that there were more emcees using the alias. In order to set himself apart from the others, he added his last name to become Guilty Simpson. He is...
and producer 9th Wonder
9th Wonder
Patrick Douthit , better known as 9th Wonder is a hip hop record producer, record executive, DJ, professor, and lyricist from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A. He began his career as the main producer for the hip hop group Little Brother, and has also worked with Mary J...
were planned. According to a Filter TV interview, Jay Electronica has partnered with Decon to release his debut project. It is being described as a multi-media release and footage from the project which was partially shot in Nepal and Dubai has begun to surface online. The first clip to leak is titled "Dear Moleskine" and can be found on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, the track was produced by Just Blaze and the clip was directed by Jason Goldwatch
Jason Goldwatch
Jason Goldwatch is an American music video director and commercial director who is a Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director of Decon, a creative agency and record label based in New York. He is best known for his work with Kid Cudi, Pharrell Williams, Linkin Park, Evidence, and Dilated Peoples...
from Decon
Decon
Decon is a New York based idea shop / production company / record label. Its in-house label represents hip-hop and contemporary R&B artists including Jay Electronica, Nneka, 88-Keys, RJD2, the Alchemist, Freddie Gibbs, Goapele, and Aceyalone....
. In June 2009, Decon and Jay's "The Dogon Society" released "Exhibit A
Exhibit A (Transformations)
"Exhibit A " is a single by Jay Electronica recorded in 2008 and released on iTunes on June 23, 2009. The song is featured on the soundtrack to EA Sports Fight Night Round 4....
" digitally. "Exhibit C
Exhibit C
"Exhibit C" is a single by American rap artist Jay Electronica released to iTunes on December 22, 2009, as an EP with explicit, clean and instrumental versions.-Background:...
" was released on iTunes December 16, 2009 and quickly shot to the top 10 of the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
Hip-Hop charts. The following week it was chosen by Hot 97's Dj Enuff as the Heavy Hitter pick of the week.
Jay Electronica appeared at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival
2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival
The 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival was held on June 10–13, 2010. The line-up was announced Tuesday, February 9, although the original line-up release date was scheduled for February 2. It was broadcast live on YouTube...
. Jay Electronica continued his scattered release practice, releasing "A Million In The Morning" on April 4, 2010. The song features a weary Electronica trying to keep himself awake to escape his nightmares. On April 30, Jay Electronica debuted "The Ghost of Christopher Wallace" via his Twitter. The song features P Diddy and is produced by London beatsmith Quincey Tones, who is known for producing such acts as Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
and Royce da 5'9".
On November 12, 2010, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
announced that Jay Electronica was officially the newest member of his own 'Roc Nation' record label/management company, which boasts such acts as J. Cole, and Willow Smith
Willow Smith
Willow Camille Reign Smith , often known simply as Willow, is an American child actress and singer. She is the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and the younger sister of Jaden Smith. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An...
. Before signing to Roc Nation in 2010, Jay Electronica was a prospective signee of Bad Boy Records, a label owned by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In late 2010, he and Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu
Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...
were featured on The Bullitts
The Bullitts
The Bullitts are a music group featuring producer and writer Jeymes Samuel. Their first album They die by dawn and other short stories is due out in June 2011. They released their first single called "Close Your Eyes" in April 2011. The single features Lucy Liu and Jay Electronica. The group has...
' track "Close Your Eyes". It was BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe's 'record of the week' and will feature on The Bullits upcoming album set for release in 2011. Then in July 2011, he produced and was featured on the track "Run & Hide", which will be on the same album.
In July 2011, Jay Electronica posted via his twitter that his debut album, "Act II: Patents Of Nobility (the turn)," was complete. On October 10, 2011, Jay Electronica released the song Call Of Duty, featuring Prodigy
Prodigy
Prodigy may refer to:* Child prodigy, an individual who is a master of one or more skills or arts at an early age.In music:* Moog Prodigy, synthesiser* The Prodigy, a British electronic music group named after the Moog Prodigy synthesizer...
from Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
. He stated that this single would not be on his album.
Personal life
Jay Electronica and Erykah BaduErykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
have one child together, Mars Merkaba Thedford, born on February 1, 2009. He is a member of the Five Percent Nation.
Endorsements
In December, 2010, Jay Electronica starred in a Mountain Dew commercial endorsing the brand’s cherry-flavored soft drink “Code Red.” The commercial is set in a theater located in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Jay performs a small segment of his song “The Announcement” in front of an energetic crowd. The advertisement features the tagline “Hip hop is different on the mountain.” Jay Electronica ends the commercial with the following quote: “I’m Jay Electronica. When I rhyme, the whole world disappears. Hip hop is different on my mountain.”EPs
- Style Wars EP (2007)
- Historical EP (Title TBA) (TBA)
- Mos Eisley EP (with the Bullitts) (TBA)
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
U.S. Rap Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
|||||||||||
| "Exhibit A (Transformations) Exhibit A (Transformations) "Exhibit A " is a single by Jay Electronica recorded in 2008 and released on iTunes on June 23, 2009. The song is featured on the soundtrack to EA Sports Fight Night Round 4.... " |
2009 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Exhibit C Exhibit C "Exhibit C" is a single by American rap artist Jay Electronica released to iTunes on December 22, 2009, as an EP with explicit, clean and instrumental versions.-Background:... " |
— | 86 | — | ||||||||||
| "Shiny Suit Theory" (featuring Jay-Z Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010... & The-Dream The-Dream Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs... ) |
2011 | — | — | — | Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn) | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or receive certification. | |||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | |||||||||||
| "Just Begun" (Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal is a hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek. They released their first album, Train of Thought, in 2000... featuring J. Cole, Mos Def Mos Def Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which... and Jay Electronica) |
2010 | — | — | — | Revolutions per Minute Revolutions per Minute (Reflection Eternal album) Revolutions per Minute is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and Rawkus Records... |
||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or receive certification. | |||||||||||||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Album | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Cool, Relax" | 2008 | 10.Deep Presents The New Deal | The Cool Kids The Cool Kids The Cool Kids is an American hip hop group. Consisting of rappers Antoine "Sir Michael Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll , the group is based in Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan... |
| "Walking (J.Period Remix)" | 2009 | The Madness | J.Period J.Period J.Period is a Brooklyn-based Mixtape DJ, remixer and hip-hop producer. He is best known for producing Official Mixtape collaborations with Q-Tip , John Legend, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, Lauryn Hill, The Roots, The Isley Brothers and Mary J... & Nneka Nneka Nneka is a given name. Notable people with the name include:* Nneka or Nneka Egbuna, Nigerian-German singer and songwriter* Nneka Elliott, weather and traffic specialist at CP24* Nneka Ogwumike, American basketball player at Stanford University... |
| "Just Begun" | 2010 | Revolutions per Minute Revolutions per Minute (Reflection Eternal album) Revolutions per Minute is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Reflection Eternal, released May 18, 2010, on Blacksmith Records and Rawkus Records... |
Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal Reflection Eternal is a hip hop duo composed of emcee Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek. They released their first album, Train of Thought, in 2000... , J. Cole, Mos Def Mos Def Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which... |
| The Day" | Pilot Talk | Curren$y, Mos Def | |
| "Live It" | Heart of a Champion Heart of a Champion (album) - Chart positions :... |
Paul Wall Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as... , Raekwon Raekwon Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with... , Yelawolf Yelawolf Michael Wayne Atha , better known by his stage name YelaWolf, is an American rapper. He is currently signed to Shady Records, Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and Interscope Records... |
|
| "Prowler 2" | 24 Hour Karate School 24 Hour Karate School 24 Hour Karate School is the debut album by hip hop record producer, Ski Beatz. Originally, the album was set for a March 30, 2010 but was pushed back due to sample clearance issues. The project was then given a September 7, 2010 release date, however, was not released until September 21... |
Ski Beatz Ski (producer) David Willis, otherwise known as DJ Ski and Ski Beatz, is an American record producer mainly working in hip hop.-Biography:Discovered by DJ Clark Kent, Ski was originally known as "MC Will-Ski". In the 1990s, he was a member of the group Original Flavor, the first group managed by future recording... , Jean Grae Jean Grae Jean Grae , born November 26, 1976 is an American hip hop artist who hails from South Africa. She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.- Early life :... , Joell Ortiz Joell Ortiz Joell Ortiz is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the group Slaughterhouse.-Biography:Joell Ortiz was born to Puerto Rican parents. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath... , Original, Mos Def |
|
| "Close Your Eyes" | 2011 | They Die By Dawn and Other Short Stories | The Bullitts The Bullitts The Bullitts are a music group featuring producer and writer Jeymes Samuel. Their first album They die by dawn and other short stories is due out in June 2011. They released their first single called "Close Your Eyes" in April 2011. The single features Lucy Liu and Jay Electronica. The group has... , Lucy Lui |
| "Run & Hide" | The Bullitts | ||
External links
- :::::::Magnetik7::::::: (come on in, the water's fine.) - Official web site (inactive since 2005)
- Jay Electronica Official News Source
- Jay Electronica Fan Website(domain expired)
- Jay Electronica (JayElectronica) on Twitter
- URB Jay Electronica cover (left) (.gif)
- Giles Peterson Worldwide (.mp3, 80MB) - Lengthy interview and music
- Jay Electronica video interview on redbullmusicacademy.com
- Just Blaze, Jay Electronica, & Mike "Chav" Chavarria - An Interview with Jay, Chav, & Just Blaze
- Exclaim! magazine interview with Jay Electronica-Exclaim!Exclaim!Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
