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.
Departure
Jay Electronica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
my mama said "son what happened?"
sometimes I cant breathe cuz its so much crap man
I called on god but he dont call back and
fight to stay sane while the devils laughin
last night i was across the tracks
wit freddy and black teddy just playin a crap game
smokin on stank
when brian came flyin up the block like batman
*pant pant* minnie got killed!
his wig got peel't in the county yo'
by some tenth ward niggas that we barely know!
I said hold up, whoa whoa whoa whoa
you must be joking but he wasnt laughin
freddy passed out in the the grass and thats when
his mother came outside and said "wheres minnie?"
I looked down at the ground " I dont know where hes at maam"
lump in my throat I just lost my best friend
Conneticuit minnie with the east coast accent
top it all of, my older cousin mookie got caught
with some yellow cap viles of crack man
its time for me to leave home ma thats that man
it aint much left here to see for a black man
im a spread my wings pursue this rap thing
kiss my baby sister tell her ill be back
Im on I-10 east bound to man-hat-tan
n-y-c yes sir thats rap land
a one way ticket, a trunk of clothes
i spent my last twenty-five cent on pac man
mister bus driver set me free
just take me to new york and let me be (late echo)
The opening lyrics to Jay Electronica’s song Departure reflect the raw and emotive nature of the song’s content. The lines “as the tears welled up in my eyes, my mama said ‘son what happened?’” carry a heavy weight of sadness and despair. It is clear that the singer is struggling with life and feels like he has nobody to turn to. He calls on God for support but feels like he is not being heard. The line “fight to stay sane while the devils laughin” highlights that the struggle is a mental one and that the singer feels like he is being tormented by his own mind. The song then moves into a story about the death of “Minnie” which adds to the sense of tragedy.
The story is filled with elements of street life such as smoking, drinking, and gambling but it is all set against a backdrop of deep sorrow. The singer is trying to come to terms with the loss of his friend while dealing with the wider issues that come with growing up in a deprived and dangerous environment. The line “it aint much left here to see for a black man” is particularly powerful as it suggests that the singer is leaving not just because he wants to pursue his music but because he feels like there is no hope left for him where he is. The song ends with a sense of hope for the future as he sets off towards his dream of making it in New York City.
Line by Line Meaning
as the tears welled up in my eyes
I am about to tell a story that is going to make me emotional and bring tears to my eyes, as I recount the events that have happened to me
my mama said "son what happened?"
My mother noticed my pain and asked me what was wrong, hoping she could provide some sort of comfort or aid
sometimes I cant breathe cuz its so much crap man
There are times when I feel utterly overwhelmed and like I can't go on due to the stressful and difficult circumstances I find myself in
I called on god but he dont call back and
In my moment of desperation and need, I asked for divine intervention, but received no immediate response or relief
fight to stay sane while the devils laughin
Amidst the chaos and struggling, I am trying my best to keep sane and composed, despite feeling like I am constantly facing opposition and negativity
last night i was across the tracks wit freddy and black teddy just playin a crap game smokin on stank sippin on drank when brian came flyin up the block like batman
I was hanging out with my friends Freddy and Black Teddy, gambling and casually partaking in substances, when another friend named Brian rushed up to us in a dramatic fashion, much like Batman
pant pant minnie got killed! his wig got peel't in the county yo' by some tenth ward niggas that we barely know!
Brian frantically spewed out the shocking news that our friend Minnie had been murdered in a degrading way by a group of people we were only slightly acquainted with
I said hold up, whoa whoa whoa whoa you must be joking but he wasnt laughin freddy passed out in the the grass and thats when his mother came outside and said "wheres minnie?" I looked down at the ground " I dont know where hes at maam"
I had a hard time processing the information and had to ask Brian to confirm the news, but he was dead serious. Meanwhile, my friend Freddy had passed out from the shock of it all, and his mother became concerned and inquired about Minnie's whereabouts, which left me at a loss for words
lump in my throat I just lost my best friend Conneticuit minnie with the east coast accent top it all of,
The realization hit me hard that I had lost a dear friend, Minnie, who hailed from Connecticut and had a distinctively Eastern accent, adding a layer of melancholy to the tragic event
my older cousin mookie got caught with some yellow cap viles of crack man its time for me to leave home ma thats that man it aint much left here to see for a black man im a spread my wings pursue this rap thing
On top of everything else, my beloved cousin Mookie was arrested for drug possession, and the adversity became too much for me to bear. I knew that it was time to move on and pursue my dreams of becoming a rapper, as there was nothing left for me in my hometown, especially as a black man
kiss my baby sister tell her ill be back Im on I-10 east bound to man-hat-tan n-y-c yes sir thats rap land a one way ticket, a trunk of clothes i spent my last twenty-five cent on pac man
Before embarking on my journey to NYC, I made sure to say goodbye to my little sister and assure her I would return one day. I hit the road, taking a one-way ticket and packing all of my belongings, including spending my last bit of cash on a video game
mister bus driver set me free just take me to new york and let me be (late echo)
As I rode the bus towards my destination, I asked the driver to simply let me off in New York and allow me to make my way on my own, free from the past and ready to start anew
Contributed by Kaelyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aura
As the tears welled up in my eyes
My mama said "son what happened?"
Sometimes I can't breathe cause it's so much crap man
I called on god but he don't call back and
Fight to stay sane while the devils laughin
Last night I was across the tracks
With freddy and black teddy just playin a crap game
Smokin on stank
Sippin on drank
When brian came flyin up the block like batman
[pant pant] minnie got killed!
His wig got peeled in the callio
By some tenth ward niggas that we barley know!
I said hold up, whoa whoa whoa whoa
You must be joking but he wasn't laughin
Freddy passed out in the the grass and that's when
His mother came outside and said "where's minnie?"
I looked down at the ground "I don't know where he's at maam"
Lump in my throat I just lost my best friend
Conneticuit minnie with the easy coast accent
Top it all of, my older cousin mookie got caught
With some yellow capped barrels of crack man
It's time for me to leave home ma that's that man
It ain't much left here to see for a black man
I'm a spread my wings pursue this rap thing
Kiss my baby sister tell her I'll be back
I'm on I-10 east bound to manhattan
Nyc yes sir that's rap land
A one way ticket, a trunk of clothes
I spent my last 25 cent on pac man
Mister bus drive set me free
Just take me to new york and let me be
Soultronics
All he needs is 1 minute and 32 seconds to create something so personal and so beautiful. Truly a master.
BoomBapBenji
+Geron Fletcher word, this is my favorite verse from him
Soultronics
Geron Fletcher
Yeah, shit like this gets slept on heavy
Geron Fletcher
Insanely talented writer. This is what makes hip hop the greatest art form... I wish people that hate hip hop would listen to stuff like this.
Shock Value RBL
Jay Electronica will continue to be my favorite rapper. Well after his death his wordplay and story telling will always transcend any wave hip hop rides.
EQUATE pRODUCTIONS
A soldier most definitely. A rare commodity. Great knowledge in his words
macko54
"It ain't much left here to see for a Black man" I honestly get goosebumps when i hear that line.
nightfall
facts. cuts deep somehow.
Aura
I’m Hispanic with a small bit of Nigerian in me. I identify as Hispanic though. It also resonates with me. It’s just such a sad line.
thatdudebonzo
If you can relate then you know