Name: FLy Jay
Location: Youngstown, Ohio
Genre/s: HipHop/Rap/Electro
Label/Unsigned: Unsigned
www.flyjay.com
Twitter
Location: Youngstown, Ohio
Genre/s: HipHop/Rap/Electro
Label/Unsigned: Unsigned
www.flyjay.com
TMC: Introduce yourself. FJ: I'm FLy Jay (yes the 'FL' are capitalized). I'm primarily a Hip Hop/Rap artist and producer, but I also delve into more mellow, instrumental, Electro-influenced music like Deep House, Dub, and a style that I just call Electronic Funk.I'm more of an intellectual street-poet on the mic. I don't really kick "conscious-rap" per say, but it's thinking-people's music for the most part. I don't think about anything in life in the ways that most people do and it reflects in my lyrics and style of sound. I challenge a LOT of conventional wisdom (if you can call it that) in my lyrics. But overall, and bottom-line, if you listen closely it's something that anyone can relate to - IF you're honest with yourself.
I'm highly highly lyrical, not so much punch-line type, but definitely lyrical as far as syllable structure and cleverness with the rhymes and lines, and the type of things I say...ok can I stop extolling my own virtues now? hahah.
TMC: What made you pursue music? FJ: I don't know what made me start. I played saxophone as a young kid, and hung out with my older cousin in the studio he had when I was a teenager. But I'm heavily inspired to do music by the visual arts, women, and just anything aesthetic.
TMC: What sets you apart from other artists? FJ: I'd say, my ways of thinking and approaching music. I don't look at my efforts and feel as though I HAVE to incorporate what's popular in order to feel relevant. I don't follow trends. I also don't rely on anyone for anything. Right now, I don't even have a manager, I don't have friends helping me push my music or anything like that. It's just me 100% in the lab, spending the dough, contacting industry people, DJs, clubs and what not.
As far as sonically, I'm more laid back in my style. I don't come out as an "in your face" type just attacking and barraging you with lyrics and lines. I don't "spit", I "flow". My sound is more mature than most rappers. I don't make you bounce and "get wild", I make you chillax.
Also, I switch in and out of genres and styles at will and with great ease. It's not like I can ONLY rap, or do ONLY Rap/HipHop, and when I do cross genres into some more eclectic style of music, it sounds and feels natural - not something weird or forced.
TMC: What's something people may not know about you?
FJ: I think that I've recorded under different names. I've only been FLy Jay for a few years, but I have about 10 years in this music and I've been other artists. There's other things, but I guess that would be personal and I'm not too fond of my personal life being public.
TMC: What projects do you have planned for the near future?
FJ: I have 3 Hip Hop/Rap records planned for 2013. After that, I'm hoping to just do a lot of touring and a great deal of producing for other artists.
TMC: What do you feel about the future of music?FJ: "As far as Hip Hop, I think it's in trouble. If you look closely, the biggest name artists are the least lyrically skilled, but they have the BEST beats. Furthermore, I feel as though the real thoughtfulness in lyrical content is dwindling like never before. The ignorance or just stupidity is at a staggering height. Rap is pretty much a big commercial right now. If you look at Rap videos, all you see is material, and just highly non-substantial content. I'm pretty sure that's by design, because Rap is very very powerful, and can be a vehicle for change in a lot of thought, but it's been hijacked and is now used to sell just about anything, in addition to the lifestyle and mind-set of hyper consumerism.
Also, it's so closed-circle and political it's virtually impossible for anyone outside of any powerful network to emerge fully. It's insecure because a clique or power base will do all in their efforts to shun you or keep you from coming up if they feel it threatens or steals their shine or that of their artists that they're trying to promote. It's set up now that you can only buy your way into the game, even without talent. You see it manifest in the DJ releases, the video shows, the radio programs, the blog sites or online magazines, etc..you can't get in unless you pay...and if they only accept folks who pay, the dollar becomes the bottom line as opposed to the talent. So if someone is a pay-for-play outlet or DJ or radio show, etc, then what will stop them from playing or showcasing someone who is wack, but paying
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