statefan24
All American
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Once set in motion, electrons conduct one of the most awesome forces on the planet: electricity. When its power is focused, it can both transform and illuminate. With his high energy and boundless reach, Jay Electronica proves that he will be a live example of his shocking namesake in the world of hip-hop.
Like the title of one of his songs, everyone is looking for ?Something To Hold On To? when describing this dynamic debut artist on Erykah Badu?s new label, Control FreaQ. Resisting the siren song of label giants like Jive, Sony, Atlantic, and Universal, Jay found his artistic home with Control FreaQ and considers it his mission to bring life into hip-hop and ?put the lyrical flag down for the South?.
Born Timothy Elpadaro Thedford to a Black mother and a Panamanian father, Jay Electronica grew up in the same projects that produced Juvenile and the late Souljah Slim: the Magnolia Projects of New Orleans, Louisiana. But, while he?s the first to praise the industry trailblazers from his hometown, he readily admits that he?s looking to travel his own road.
Jay credits his bittersweet travels through the ?heaven and hells of North America? for his versatility and vision. His destinations are too numerous to list, and include a recent trip the pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico. He?s called more than 10 major U.S. cities home, and has a story to tell for each.
He describes Atlanta as ?competitive?. Washington, D.C. is a ?collage of different places?, and New York is ?a hustle city?. Of Chicago, he says, ?If you can make it in Chicago, you can make it anywhere,? and Detroit is ?different, but overflowing with great talent?.
But these were no na?ve, Forrest Gump-like explorations of Americana. Jay?s vision of his own success was always his motivation and his roadmap.
?I left home going to New York on the Greyhound, but got off in Atlanta because they had ?Now Hiring? signs and I knew I needed a job,? he says. ?At that time, all I had was a one way ticket, $60, and a chest full of clothes.?
While in Atlanta, Jay was homeless for months at a time, staying in shelters where he was often denied entrance for missing curfews due to his work schedule. His stay in Atlanta, as trying as it was, marked significant changes in his life. It was there that he met DJ Soul Messiah ? who worked with TLC on the CrazySexyCool album and who introduced him to the Atlanta hip-hop scene. He was eventually featured on a song with Kool Ace and Big Gip(Goodie Mob) that found its way into heavy rotation on Atlanta?s Hot 97 FM.
Along with these experiences, Jay also keeps the sounds of artists like Steely Dan, Graham Central Station, and Michael Franks in his digital memory ? music his mother and grandmother exposed him to while he was growing up.
?We listened to a whole slew of people,? he remembers. ?My mother had some records that, to this day, I have never heard anywhere else.? Jay says that he measures his music by recalling how his mother?s records made her feel. When asked about other musical influences growing up, he places LL Cool J, Rakim, Kool G Rap, DOC, and Scarface at the top of his list.
Some of the finest work in hip hop, both lyrically and musically, is found in Jay?s first album, STYLEWARS. Those who questioned his decision to take the deal with Ms. Badu, rather than Universal, did not understand that Jay has fierce integrity that will not be compromised.
?When I met Erykah,? he says, ?she immediately believed in the music I was doing. And in order for anyone to be successful, you have to have someone who believes in you to back you.?
Jay is well aware of the speculation about his coming release on Control Freaq, as Erykah Badu is usually linked to the sounds of hip-hop artists like Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, and Mos Def ? artists among whom, Jay declares, he is not most accurately associated. ?My music speaks for itself.?
This illuminated lyricist from the Magnolia Projects is forcing all the heavyweights (and even those not so heavy) to step it up. As his name suggests, Jay Electronica is a powerful force to be reckoned with, and the world is in for a shockingly magnetic charge as this New Orleans MC blends his Southern Sensibility with Urban Reality, all the while staying true to his mission to jolt us from our slumber.  6/7/2007 2:54:27 AM
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