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Jay Electronica - Dimethyltryptamine (Official Video)

The official video for Jay's "Dimethyltryptamine". Shot in Nepal

By Sowmya Krishnamurthy

Jay Electronica fans can rest easy; according to his tweets, Jay Elec's new album is finallycoming soon. "Dear Believers and Patient Supporters. Thank you for your patience and support. The Album will be turned in Tomorrow evening. The wait ends," Elec shared earlier. He then went on to add, "over the next day or so, i will write and open lettervia my tumblr to those who have waited patiently on me

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. Jay Electronica first gained significant attention after the release of the musical composition Act I: 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 aSucker 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

Early life and career beginnings

Thedford was born on September 19, 1976, in the Magnolia Projects 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 his nephew Akeem Pryor rhyme. 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 PhiladelphiaBaltimoreDetroitNew York, and briefly in 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."[3]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.[4][5] 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.

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 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 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-minuteGilles Peterson Worldwide was devoted to the rapper.[6] 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",[7] 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".[4]

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.

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 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".[4] From New Orleans, LA he has lived in BaltimorePhiladelphiaWashington, 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. Jay met producer/engineer Mike "Chav" Chavarria in Detroit, the latter introducing him to both J Dilla and Mr. Porter, and who is now a regular collaborator.[4][10]

According to URBAct 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,[11] 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.[12] 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 andRoyce 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.[13]

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 Bullitts 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.[14] 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.

 

Jay Electronica and Erykah Badu have one child together, Mars Merkaba Thedford, born on February 1, 2009.[15] 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.”

Discography

[edit]Studio albums

  • Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn) (TBA)

[edit]EPs

  • Style Wars EP (2007)
  • Mos Eisley EP (with the Bullitts) (TBA)

[edit]Mixtapes

[edit]Singles

[edit]As lead artist

List of singles by title, year and peak chart positions, and album
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. Rap
"Exhibit A (Transformations)" 2009
"Exhibit C" 86
"Shiny Suit Theory" (featuring Jay-Z & The-Dream) 2011 Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn)
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or receive certification. "Call of Duty" 86

[edit]As featured artist

List of singles by title, year and peak chart positions, and album
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. Rap
"Just Begun"
(Reflection Eternal featuring J. ColeMos Def and Jay Electronica)
2010 Revolutions per Minute
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or receive certification.

[edit]Guest appearances

List of songs with guest appearances by Jay Electronica
Title Year Album Artist(s)
"Cool, Relax" 2008 10.Deep Presents The New Deal Kidz in the Hall
"Walking (J.Period Remix)" 2009 The Madness J.Period & Nneka
"Just Begun" 2010 Revolutions per Minute Reflection EternalJ. ColeMos Def
The Day" Pilot Talk Curren$y, Mos Def
"Live It" Heart of a Champion Paul WallRaekwonYelawolf
"Prowler 2" 24 Hour Karate School Ski BeatzJean GraeJoell Ortiz, Original, Mos Def
"Higher" GameSwizz Beatz
"Close Your Eyes" 2011 They Die By Dawn and Other Short Stories The BullittsLucy Lui
"Run & Hide" The Bullitts