Jay Electronica has yet to release a full-length album but has released two official singles to date, "Exhibit A" 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.
Jay Electronica first gained significant attention through Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), made available on a MySpace page in 2007. It is 9:13 continuous minutes of music, without drums, built from Jon Brion'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 (children arguing in Kurdish, Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka). The first segment is spoken word by Just Blaze and Erykah Badu describing the artist 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, Gilles 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.
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. His most recent music as of November 2008 is the Just Blaze-produced track "Exhibit A (Transformations)".
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 of 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. On February 9, 2010, it was announced Jay Electronica will appear at the 2010 Bonnaroo Music Festival. Further proof of the continuing buzz about this artist saw On Jay Electronica sell out 2 nights at the Jazz Cafe Jazz Café, London (UK) on Feb 17, 2010.
Jay Electronica continued his scattered release practice, dropping "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 30th, 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 12th November 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.
Jay has been travelling the world and was in London, United Kingdom for an extended period of time completing his debut album 'Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn)'.
Jay Electronica and Erykah Badu have a child together, a girl named Mars Merkaba, born on February 1, 2009.
Attack Of The Clones
Jay Electronica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
this message is for solo artists but i get at crews
we can make the news
ill be on the low sippin daquiris in baton rouge
or killing rock the bells with nas and posdnous
its a small task for jay man
wack niggas be dead and i be laughin
sippin out my flask chillin in my ray bans
with albums full and look at my watch at how much my shine cost*
its time lost
who shot ya, the black bach blastin over opera
phantom of the chakras
jay doppla went from panhandling socks in box
to popular
this is just the start of it,
the kid intend to split more wigs than british parliament
catch me on the global warmin tour with jigga and al gore
performin dear summer, where autumn went
eternal sunshine
drum major without a drumline
ill be in the d screamin kick rocks to one time
when they say license and registration
im yellin reparations
quote em from revelations
then i peel off in they faces
young black and arrogant with no i-d
the most extravagant
they should build me a statue on grambling campus
with a manuscript, that say he got at the best of them
shot at the rest of them
aint no contesting em
green says a lot niggas talkin shit but we aint stressin em
In "Attack Of The Clones," Jay Electronica addresses aspiring solo artists while also making it clear that he can easily take on crews. He boasts about the attention he can get, either by laying low and drinking daiquiris in Baton Rouge or performing with Nas and Posdnous. Jay seems to take pleasure in watching wack rappers go down while he relaxes with his flask and Ray-Bans, sporting an air of importance as if he's a big-time crime boss. Jay's success didn't come without struggle, though, as he references his humble beginnings of panhandling socks in boxes. However, he's since become a popular figure not afraid to make a statement, evidenced by his unapologetic attitude and resistance to comply with authorities asking for licenses and registrations.
The song's title, "Attack Of The Clones," is a reference to the Star Wars prequels where the main antagonist is an army of cloned soldiers. Jay also invokes popular culture by mentioning the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya?" and the Phantom of the Opera. He shows admiration for J Dilla by paying tribute to his "Donuts" album cover and also mentions Al Gore, referencing his efforts in bringing attention to climate change. "Reparations" and "Revelations" are also mentioned, suggesting that Jay sees himself as a revolutionary figure in the music industry who isn't afraid to take on societal issues.
Line by Line Meaning
dont get it confused
Don't misunderstand me
this message is for solo artists but i get at crews
Though my message is directed at solo artists, I have no problem taking on groups
we can make the news
We can create headlines
ill be on the low sippin daquiris in baton rouge
I'll be enjoying a quiet life in Baton Rouge, sipping on cocktails
or killing rock the bells with nas and posdnous
I'll be performing at 'Rock the Bells' festival with Nas and Posdnous
its a small task for jay man
This task is a small feat for me, Jay Electronica
wack niggas be dead and i be laughin
Mediocre rappers will be eliminated and I will be amused
sippin out my flask chillin in my ray bans
I'll be relaxing, sipping on my drink and wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses
imaginary crime boss
I'm envisioning myself as a criminal mastermind
with albums full and look at my watch at how much my shine cost*
I'm reflecting on my successful music career while admiring my expensive watch
its time lost
Time has been wasted
who shot ya, the black bach blastin over opera
I'm questioning who shot me, the black equivalent of Johann Sebastian Bach, while blasting classical music
phantom of the chakras
I'm the mystical spirit of the energy points in the human body
jay doppla went from panhandling socks in box to popular
I went from begging for spare change to becoming a successful artist
this is just the start of it
This is only the beginning of my success
the kid intend to split more wigs than british parliament
I plan to defeat more opponents than the British Parliament uses the phrase 'split wigs'
catch me on the global warmin tour with jigga and al gore
You can find me on the Global Warming tour with Jay-Z and Al Gore
performin dear summer, where autumn went
I'll be performing the song 'Dear Summer' which reminisces on the past, similar to the season autumn
eternal sunshine
I'm always bright, cheery, and optimistic
drum major without a drumline
I'm a leader, without any followers
ill be in the d screamin kick rocks to one time
In Detroit, I'll be yelling expletives at the police
when they say license and registration im yellin reparations
Instead of complying when asked for identification, I'm demanding reparations for the past harms done to black people
quote em from revelations then i peel off in they faces
I recite scripture from the Bible's 'Revelations' before leaving my detractors
young black and arrogant with no i-d
I am a young, confident and conceited black man, traveling without identification
the most extravagant
I'm living a luxurious lifestyle
they should build me a statue on grambling campus
I am so accomplished that they should build a statue of me at Grambling State University
with a manuscript, that say he got at the best of them shot at the rest of them
I have a document proving that I defeated the best rappers and even shot down my lesser opponents
aint no contesting em
No one will challenge me
green says a lot niggas talkin shit but we aint stressin em
The color green (usually money) can convey a message without words. Even though people are talking trash, we are not bothered by them
Contributed by Chase E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AETHER MASTER
Dude is way ahead of his time. Just now with that new jay z calabo is THE ONLY REASON PEOPLE ARE NOW ON JAY ELECTRONICA. Glad I've been woke and listening to him since exhibit A B C
Jade Lately
@Douglas D. Trashboat there's an Exhibit B with Mos def
Douglas D. Trashboat
You heard exhibit B? Why are you lying bro.
Rowan Lustig
First heard him on the Talib and Mos Def track Just Begun, been on the train widdim ever since
Hank Bringhamsome
A WRITTEN TESTIMONY IS ONE OF THE BEST AND PUREST ALBUMS OF THE MUSICAL ARTS THIS CENTURY!! LOVE IS LOVE 💫🤟🏼🎶♎
Jacob River
@Rogelio Beau Definitely, have been using instaflixxer for months myself :D
Hank Bringhamsome
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FRESH TO DEATH!!! LOVE IS LOVE 💫🤟🏼🎶♎
Adam Kulwicki
thanks for this timeless shit glad you made it out when you did
YWFO Kryss The Alien
💎💎💎
Incredible stuff!
Serendipitous Slim
Pisses me off how Girlfriend ends so prematurely. Love that track, don’t think a full cut of it exists.