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.
Suckas
Jay Electronica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This goes out to those that choose to use disrespectful views
On the game of H-i-p-h-o-p
We terrorizing you misfits
These wack emcees got the game twisted
We don't give a fuck about your rings and your chains
Your four-dot six Range
Or Frankie B jeans
Jay Elect reign supreme over everything
Meet the heavenly man mics in my hand I rip 'em
Brrrr-ha stick 'em ha-ha-ha stick 'em
Wack rappers we vick* 'em
And leave 'em for dead
For spittin' that wack shit
That they see in they head
Mufucka'
(Chorus)
(Verse 2)
The last dragon, carrying weight like Oprah
Redeemer of Abnoloima and san koufa
I mash out more posses than Billy and Fame
Sucka emcees rock ice but they really in flames
Eighty-five think they free but they really in chains
Talking that big willy looking silly and strange
Earthquakes and rain, hail snow locust and bees
All of the above is caused by the dopest emcees
Back day I used to rock Adidas open with Lees
Windmill on the cardboard and close with the freeze
Silly suckas
(Chorus)
(Verse 3)
It's War with The Dragon, visit your day see god,
Spar with apassion, this is your day swing hard.
As I spark your imagi-nation it may seem odd,
This world is crazy hard, but it made me god,
Rock with the blastmaster of rock with a rap masters,
The Notorious BIG and 2Pac were the last Pastors.
I gotta grab the, torch and lead the flock to the pastures,
Return of the Jedi, who stud-eye-d under the master.
Jakes wanna creep me, The eighth B60 defeat me,
I'm feelin leapy, Homeland Security breechy,
They can't compete B, my Third Eye vision is 3D.
Saw you with Mouson, cuttin civilizin the BC,
Rap is a misfit, a cheap trick covered with lipstick,
Yappin about free me, going plat with the deepdish
War with The Dragon, I'm here to clash with the beast,
Harass the Police, in the process of establishin peace,
FOREVER.
In Jay Electronica's song "Suckas," the artist addresses those who have disrespectful views towards hip-hop. He starts by stating that they are misfits who are twisting the game. Jay then disregards the material possessions that many rappers boast about, such as jewelry and cars, and instead raps about his skills with the microphone. He reigns supreme over everything and is not afraid to call out wack rappers and leave them for dead.
In the second verse, Jay likens himself to the last dragon and declares himself the redeemer of Abnoloima and san koufa. He criticizes those who think they are free but are really in chains, and scoffs at those who talk big but don't live up to their words. Jay fondly reminisces about breakdancing days and calls out "silly suckas" again.
In the final verse, Jay continues his theme of being at war with the dragon, and challenges his listeners to combat alongside him. He references past rap legends like The Notorious BIG and 2Pac before stating that he must take the torch and lead people to the pastures. He describes his vision as three-dimensional, and speaks of civilizing the BC with his friend Mouson. Jay believes that rap is a misfit, and raps about going platinum with the deep dish, further criticizing the focus on material possessions.
Line by Line Meaning
This goes out to those that choose to use disrespectful views
I'm addressing those who disrespect the game of hip-hop
On the game of H-i-p-h-o-p
Specifically on the game of hip-hop
We terrorizing you misfits
We're causing havoc for those who don't fit in with true hip-hop culture
These wack emcees got the game twisted
These subpar rappers have a distorted perception of what hip-hop really is
We don't give a fuck about your rings and your chains
Material possessions don't impress us
Your four-dot six Range
Even expensive cars don't matter to us
Or Frankie B jeans
Or designer clothing
I came in the game motherfucka was deaf to the bling
When I first entered the game, I paid no attention to superficial things like jewelry
Jay Elect reign supreme over everything
I'm the leader of hip-hop culture
Meet the heavenly man mics in my hand I rip 'em
I'm a godly presence when I perform and I destroy microphones
Brrrr-ha stick 'em ha-ha-ha stick 'em
I'm so skilled that I easily defeat my opponents, leaving them stuck and helpless
Wack rappers we vick* 'em
We punish substandard rappers by exposing their flaws
And leave 'em for dead
We defeat them so thoroughly that they have no chance of recovery
For spittin' that wack shit
Because of their inferior rhymes
That they see in they head
That they thought was good but is actually terrible
Mufucka'
As a final insult to the defeated rapper
The last dragon, carrying weight like Oprah
I'm a mythical figure with significant influence and power
Redeemer of Abnoloima and san koufa
I'm a savior for the marginalized and oppressed
I mash out more posses than Billy and Fame
I have more followers and supporters than famous groups like Billy and Fame
Sucka emcees rock ice but they really in flames
Inferior rappers might wear expensive jewelry but they're not successful or respected
Eighty-five think they free but they really in chains
Many people believe they have freedom but are actually enslaved by societal norms and expectations
Talking that big willy looking silly and strange
People who boast about material possessions actually look ridiculous and are unimportant
Earthquakes and rain, hail snow locust and bees
Natural disasters are caused by the most talented and innovative rappers
All of the above is caused by the dopest emcees
The most successful rappers are responsible for creating natural phenomena
Back day I used to rock Adidas open with Lees
In the past, I used to wear shoes from Adidas and Lees clothing line
Windmill on the cardboard and close with the freeze
I used to perform breakdancing moves like windmills and freezes on cardboard
Silly suckas
Inferior rappers who don't understand the true hip-hop culture
It's War with The Dragon, visit your day see god,
I'm declaring war as a powerful force in hip-hop culture
Spar with apassion, this is your day swing hard.
I'm ready to fight with all my energy, so my opponents need to be at their best
As I spark your imagi-nation it may seem odd,
I might inspire your creativity in an unusual way
This world is crazy hard, but it made me god,
The world is tough and unforgiving, but it has made me a powerful and influential figure in hip-hop
Rock with the blastmaster of rock with a rap masters,
I'm an expert in both rock and rap music
The Notorious BIG and 2Pac were the last Pastors.
These famous rappers were great leaders in their time
I gotta grab the, torch and lead the flock to the pastures,
I have a responsibility to guide and motivate the hip-hop community to success
Return of the Jedi, who stud-eye-d under the master.
I'm like a Jedi knight who learned from a master in order to return and defeat the dark side
Jakes wanna creep me, The eighth B60 defeat me,
Law enforcement wants to catch me, but I'm too clever to be caught
I'm feelin leapy, Homeland Security breechy,
I feel like I'm being watched and that Homeland Security is suspicious of me
They can't compete B, my Third Eye vision is 3D.
No one can challenge me because my perception goes beyond what is obvious
Saw you with Mouson, cuttin civilizin the BC,
I saw you working with a famous DJ, improving the hip-hop scene in British Columbia
Rap is a misfit, a cheap trick covered with lipstick,
Hip-hop is an underdog art form, but its potential is overlooked because of stereotypes and lack of recognition
Yappin about free me, going plat with the deepdish
People think they're successful because they sell a lot of records, but they're still trapped in the same system
War with The Dragon, I'm here to clash with the beast,
I'm ready to fight any formidable opponent and prove my dominance in hip-hop
Harass the Police, in the process of establishin peace,
I'll confront authority if it means creating a better and more just society
FOREVER.
My influence and power in hip-hop culture will last indefinitely
Contributed by David P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Haas Spitta
I feel this shit
Unicorn Bounty Hunters
The rap game is flooded with so much buffoonery right now its crazy,give us a listen for a fresh of breath air,we are the next icons of hiphop.
ast0nv8
does anybody know the beat of the song that opens up the song its stuck in my head please somebody help
Barton Funk
Sucka emcees rock ice but they really in flames Eighty-five think they free but they really in chains Talking that big willie looking silly and strange Earthquakes and rain, hail, snow, locusts and bees All of the above is caused by the dopest emcees
NapalmProductionsTV
kisses sweeter than wine by Jimmy Rodgers
yellina1
@ajuma15 @daylebeats The song is Kisses Sweeter Than Wine, the version is by the Robert Decormier Singers, 1967.
ajuma15
Someone please!!!, its vital that I get this instrumental, can anyone point me to where I can get it..Much appreciated
John Kingsley
hydrant game by Quasimoto
3 .Stacks
@SeanChiruchi I think he was supposed to as he was using one of biggies lines
0194D
@fishbob12 i love you