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.
The Announcement feat. John F. Kennedy
Jay Electronica Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Its hazards are hostile to us all
Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind
And its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again
But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal?
And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain?
Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?
Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon!
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things
Not because they are easy, but because they are hard
Because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills"
My view is aerial
Your crew inferior
My crew imperial
MC killers, Milk & Serial
Get it? Forget it
You’ll still be connecting the dots with smoking holes in your fitted
Those that got it be all at the shows throwing fit-its
The light from the dynasty sign froze all of the critics
and nary a soul got on they frog toes to ribbit
Shhh... Twas the night before the coming
Sugar plum candy coated lines for the dummies
Decoded hieroglyphics in the shrines for the mummies
We not illuminati but our eye is on the money
My Minds on the scripture
It’s Beautiful, i see every line on the picture
So when the leaves Russell and the cock Crowe's winter
just know that the Black Gods mingled a bit
then the fingers got pricked, then the single got picked
man I’m living out my brain I don’t dream about shit
if I say dream, I mean Dream, fresh not Hampton
I got a date with destiny I’m definitely not cancelling
Romancing...The Stone
The Roc...The Throne
The elegant celebration sent tremors through every nation
The stars aligned like cars at grand central station
Elevation
Yours Truly,
My duty in obligation: The newly appointed ruler who moved with no observation like W.D.
Say my name on a record, W.W.III
I’ll put you niggas in a box like the WB
Here’s a footnote on the Blueprint
Whom's fucking with We?
Yeah, bad grammar, widescreen panorama
Paranormal activity seen on the camera
UhHuh
So if you want that turmoil
I’ll Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Worldstar you
Rap Radar, Nah Right, 2dopeboy you
Your plans is foiled
Your guns is borrowed
We living in tomorrow
A tissue for your sorrows
The opening lines of the song sample the voice of John F. Kennedy during his speech at Rice University on September 12, 1962. Specifically, it quotes his rationale for investing in the space program, which he justifies by outlining the benefits of space exploration for mankind. He also acknowledges the dangers of such an endeavor, but argues that it is worth the risk. The lines seem to reflect the grand ambition and confidence of Jay Electronica.
Jay's lyrics explore several themes, including the celebrity lifestyle, the importance of hip-hop, his personal beliefs, and his quest for success. The song includes wordplay in lines like "MC killers, Milk & Serial" and Shakespearean references such as "the fingers got pricked" which is a reference to the famous scene of Romeo and Juliet. The closing lines of the song reflect Jay's bullish attitude towards his talent, referencing the various media outlets he could use to promote himself and his willingness to write a diss track. These lines are accompanied by a futuristic electronic beat and sound effects, signifying Jay's commitment to be at the forefront of innovation in the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
My view is aerial
I have a lofty perspective
Your crew inferior
Your team is subpar
My crew imperial
My team reigns supreme
MC killers, Milk & Serial
My team of rappers are talented and deadly
Get it? Forget it
If you understand, great, if not, move on
You'll still be connecting the dots with smoking holes in your fitted
You will be struggling to connect the dots while I excel
Those that got it be all at the shows throwing fit-its
Those who understand are enthusiastic and energetic at my performances
The light from the dynasty sign froze all of the critics
My success silenced all of the critics
and nary a soul got on they frog toes to ribbit
No one dared to speak out against me
Shhh... Twas the night before the coming
Something big is about to happen
Sugar plum candy coated lines for the dummies
I'll make it simple for those who don't understand
Decoded hieroglyphics in the shrines for the mummies
I know how to uncover hidden secrets
We not illuminati but our eye is on the money
We may not be part of the elite, but we strive for financial success
My Minds on the scripture
I am focused on reading and interpreting religious texts
It’s Beautiful, i see every line on the picture
I find beauty in every aspect of religious texts
So when the leaves Russell and the cock Crowe's winter
When a major change happens
just know that the Black Gods mingled a bit
Something significant occurred
then the fingers got pricked, then the single got picked
Something seemingly insignificant led to a larger event
man I'm living out my brain I don’t dream about shit
I am living life the way I want, not just dreaming about it
if I say dream, I mean Dream, fresh not Hampton
When I talk about my aspirations, I mean real goals, not just superficial ones
I got a date with destiny I’m definitely not cancelling
I have a significant future event that I will not miss
Romancing...The Stone
I am pursuing something valuable
The Roc...The Throne
My success is leading me to greatness
The elegant celebration sent tremors through every nation
My achievements have had significant impact around the world
The stars aligned like cars at grand central station
Everything came together perfectly
Elevation
I have achieved success and climbed higher in my career
Yours Truly,
Sincerely from me
My duty in obligation: The newly appointed ruler who moved with no observation like W.D.
My role is to lead without drawing too much attention to myself
Say my name on a record, W.W.III
Mentioning me in a song will lead to an all-out war
I’ll put you niggas in a box like the WB
I'll take control and put an end to your career
Here’s a footnote on the Blueprint
Here's a side note on my plan
Whom's fucking with We?
Who can compete against us?
Yeah, bad grammar, widescreen panorama
I'll break grammar rules while I achieve success
Paranormal activity seen on the camera
My success seems supernatural or unexplainable
UhHuh
Right, that's what I thought
So if you want that turmoil
If you want to start trouble
I’ll Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Worldstar you
I'll expose your problems on social media platforms
Rap Radar, Nah Right, 2dopeboy you
I'll bring down your career through influential music blogs
Your plans is foiled
Your plans have failed
Your guns is borrowed
You don't really have the strength to fight against me
We living in tomorrow
We're living in the future and moving forward
A tissue for your sorrows
I'll show some sympathy for your misfortunes
Contributed by Colton C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
THA NATORIOUS BUM
Lol Just sent me back to highschool with this. Obama was pres, Boondocks was still on air, haha this man was finna save hip-hop. And to me you definitely one of the greats!!!
Kiera Martin
Jay is too ill. Can't wait for his album to drop
Unconquered Male
Kiera Martin While you were waiting, he was busy getting conquered by the Badu entity...
darkluigi10
🤣
Black Chakra
Still waiting
ShrineStein
Rip
J.G. Arutoff
Don’t hold ya breath
Josh C
We not Illuminati but our eye is on the money.....
Wow
Onyx Wing
This song is on a whole Other planet
Will L
That's some thoughtful lyrics but he makes it look so easy