May 31, 2022

Interview with Jay-Way

We had the pleasure of interviewing Jay-Way over Zoom video!

Don't get in the way of Jay-Way's hustle. On "Shawty Goodnight," the hip-hop innovator bids goodbye to a jealous lover who has pushed him into a corner, forcing him to choose between...

We had the pleasure of interviewing Jay-Way over Zoom video!

Don't get in the way of Jay-Way's hustle. On "Shawty Goodnight," the hip-hop innovator bids goodbye to a jealous lover who has pushed him into a corner, forcing him to choose between romance and music. He chooses to stay loyal to his art, turning "Shawty Goodnight" into a tribute to creativity and commitment.

A different kind of partnership runs through "Shawty Goodnight," which finds Jay-Way sharing vocal duties with guest rapper Parris Chariz. The song's verses are packed with rhythm and rhyme, but the two artists sing those lyrics rather than rapping them. The result is a song whose momentum is matched by its melody, with synthesizers, electric guitar riffs, and an 808 drum loop all evoking the neon nostalgia of the 1980s.

Don't mistake "Shawty Goodnight" for a track that looks backward, though. This is a modern-day tribute to the artistic pursuit, delivered by a multi-lingual, genre-bending songwriter who has always embraced unconventionality. Jay-Way is dedicated to the climb, and these days, he's looking nowhere but up.

"Shawty Goodnight" is available on all digital streaming platforms.

About Jay-Way:

Jay-Way is redefining hip-hop music. Based in Amsterdam, he brings a broad, boundary-breaking perspective to the genre, filling his songs with the street-smart swagger of rap and the modern melodies of pop, the laidback cool of old-school soul music, and the optimistic outlook of the gospel. It’s a sound that hasn’t just set him apart from his contemporaries; it’s made him a genuine star at home and abroad, too, with songs like “Happen Dappen” topping Spotify’s NL Viral Chart while racking up nearly 2.5 million streams. Arriving in 2020, No, I’m Not OK follows the previous releases Jaynalysis, No Life No Wifi, and Teen Gohan, mixing Jay-Way’s most pop-influenced songs to date with lyrics about trusting your gut and rising above your
obstacles.

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Transcript

What's going on. It is Adam. Welcome back to bringing it backwards. A podcast where both a legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with Jay way over zoom video. Jay was born raised and currently living in Amsterdam and Netherlands. And he talks about how he got into music. His dad was a DJ or is a DJ club DJ. So he was always obviously surrounded by music. He didn't start writing his own music until he was in high school. A friend of him taught him how to rap from there. He would do different rap battles. He started recording himself, eventually writing full songs and putting out music. 3 (2m 7s): His sound comes from multiple genres as like a pop punk vibe at times, definitely a hip hop vibe. He talked about some early successes that he had putting out the music video for happened to happen, how he eventually got signed to his current label, which all ties back to the video for happened to happen. He talks to us about the release of his EAP. No, I'm not okay. And all about his brand new song, shouty good nights, and the new record coming out as well. You can watch the interview at J way on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. It would be awesome if you subscribe to our channel like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and tick-tock at bringing back pod. 3 (2m 51s): And if you're listening to this on Spotify, apple music, Google podcasts, we would love it. If you follow us there as well and hook us up with a five star, 4 (2m 60s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 3 (3m 6s): We're bringing it backwards with Jay way. I said this podcast about you, your journey in music. And we'll talk about the new song that you just put out as well. Show it a good night. And I love your sound, man. I really do, 5 (3m 18s): Man. Thank you, man. Thank you, man. Means a lot. It means a lot. Yeah, 3 (3m 22s): It's rad. I love it. Cause it's kind of has like the, I mean the guitar driven kind of like punk rock sound, but the, you know, hip hop influences they're there and yeah, I just dig it a lot. 5 (3m 33s): Yeah man. Thank you man. You know, I like to see myself as a genre bender, a good curator. I like to, you know, just, you know, mix all of my influences into one gumbo. Yeah man. So 3 (3m 46s): I love it. So you're from Amsterdam. 5 (3m 48s): Yes, sir. Born and raised out here, man. 3 (3m 51s): What's it like growing up in Amsterdam? 5 (3m 53s): Amsterdam is cool, man. Super diverse born in the city, man. You know, growing up, it's just a lot of different backgrounds. You know, you have people from like Dutch descent, you got African people, you got, you know, people all over the world. Like, you know, so it's a, you, when you grow up, you have different different flavors and you know, different references. When you, when you, when you grew up having friends and like, or classmates, you go to the crib, you learn about DEI, original heritage. So it's dope, man. 3 (4m 26s): Wow. That's that's, that's amazing. I would imagine like there's probably a lot of dumb Americans going there, like trying to party because that's what I see quite a bit. 5 (4m 36s): I'm telling you, man, it's, it's, it's different, you know, they call it the Sodom and Gomorrah out here, man. So it's definitely a party city for a lot of foreign people, but yeah. 3 (4m 47s): Yeah. Are you pretty close? Like I've never been, are you close to that? Like atmosphere like that? Downtown ish area of Amsterdam. 5 (4m 55s): Yeah. I'm actually 20 minutes away by car. Not bad at all. So yeah. 3 (5m 4s): That's awesome. And how did you get to music? 5 (5m 6s): And I get into music. My dad is actually a DJ, so that was, I think my induction to music, I guess he put a headphone on my head when I was a baby. So yeah. That's that was my first production definitely 3 (5m 21s): Club DJ or radio DJ 5 (5m 23s): Club DJ. Yup. 3 (5m 25s): Wow. Does he still do it? 5 (5m 26s): Yeah, he's still, he's still out there doing gigs, you know, so yeah, that was, that was the first person to really put me on to music for real different type of genre is 3 (5m 38s): That's cool. As you spin it, like just some of the clubs in downtown, like 5 (5m 42s): Not like, not like the cool clubs right now, you know, but back then he was yeah, sure. Yup. 3 (5m 50s): That's crazy. That's I bet he's got some good stories. 5 (5m 53s): Yeah, for sure, 3 (5m 55s): Man. I can't imagine. 5 (5m 57s): Yeah, definitely. You know, kind of, it's funny to him that his son came to like, you know, just, you know, ended up being an artist himself, so yeah. 3 (6m 9s): Yeah. He's probably stuck living in kind of vicariously through what you've got going on. 5 (6m 13s): Definitely. Yeah. He, one of my biggest fans, so, yup. 3 (6m 16s): It's amazing. So you, he, he put headphones on at early age. When did you like kind of like, was there a moment that you can remember that you're like, okay, I'm going to do this. I'm going to be a musician. 5 (6m 28s): Yeah, it was when I was in high school kind of high school ma interview, hopefully my bad. 3 (6m 36s): Oh no, it's all good. I didn't, 5 (6m 38s): Yeah. I was, let me think in high school, this classmate introduced me to rap and he was like, yo, my name is such and such. And I was like, yo, my name is, and then he was like, yo, so what's your, what's your artist name? Your rap name? I told him like, yo, I don't know how to rap. He's like, come on man. Everybody know how to rap. And then he taught me how to rap on the spot freestyle. And I always loved rap music. I always love hip hop, but it was when he like really put me on to like actually freestyle is when I grew up. Factuation for like actually making music myself. So from their own freestyling battle rapping to add demos. 5 (7m 22s): Yeah. So that's kind of how I started. 3 (7m 24s): Wow. All right. Have you always been into multiple genres of music? I mean, you can definitely hear those influences 5 (7m 30s): For sure. So, you know, obviously it's like my background, like my dad putting me on some music, but then when you actually start going to school and when you so meet growing up, I always loved pop music that was really heavy on to like, you know, just big pop music. I'm a huge Michael Jackson fan. My dad used to like, you know, show me tapes of Michael Jackson. And I was like, whoa, what is this? And then from there on the, the big boy bands, you know, rock artists that started emerging around the two thousands, definitely like, you know, just Lincoln park, a lot of Lincoln park. 5 (8m 11s): Who else? Man? 3 (8m 12s): Maverick Levine, 5 (8m 14s): Avril Levine. 3 (8m 15s): I was just going off your, your Instagram. 5 (8m 19s): Yeah. Even, even a limp biscuit man. Like you know that I grew up listening to 0 (8m 25s): Here's to the great American settlers, the millions of you who settled for unsatisfying jobs because they pay the bills. Of course there is something else you could do. If you got something to say, start a podcast, which recur from iHeart and unleash your creative freedom. Maybe even earn enough money to one day. Tell your old boss a I'm no settler. I'm an Explorer. spreaker.com S P R E K E R a salon over today. 1 (8m 55s): Sign up with bet MGM sports using code champion 200 and win $200 in free bets. 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Only at mattress firm restrictions apply, see store or mattress, firm.com for details 5 (9m 56s): And MTV man, like, you know, just really, you know, a lot of, a lot of kids weren't allowed to watch MTV and that type of thing, but I was glued to it, man. So I was like, yo, there go my favorite song again. And I would like be so invested into some of the artists too. It's just, yeah, that's how I kind of like, you know, and then in school, you, you started talking about what you saw on MTV, you know, 3 (10m 21s): Was there any like artists from around your area that are bands from, from Amsterdam that you were like way into that maybe didn't break here in the United States or didn't really make it outside of maybe Europe or anything? 5 (10m 37s): Yeah, it was this one band called direct where I felt like, man, I dunno if they really transcended in like, you know, overseas, I think they, but they were really big in the country. They were really big in the country and we obviously I can school. We used to always be, you know, fan of, of the band and to us that was, that was the world to us. You know what I mean? We were the world to those artists. That's how I felt. So man, are there other artists, there's some pop singers from the Netherlands that I thought was really dope to this girl. Her name is SITA. 5 (11m 18s): I don't think she makes music anymore, but yes, it's a lot of artists from the Netherlands. They were really popping back then and a lot of rappers too. 3 (11m 27s): Yeah. All right. Where you big, like was the church big in your life as far as like the music at your influencing or no 5 (11m 35s): Church music. Yeah. I didn't really grow up 3 (11m 39s): On the gospel music or anything like that. 5 (11m 42s): Maybe like Ghanian. Cause my parents are originally from Ghana. So like definitely like the knee in gospel music I grew up with like, yeah, but that, you know, aside a doubt, a lot of Indian hiplife and Highlife music, which are two different genres in Ghana. 3 (11m 60s): Okay. 5 (12m 0s): Yeah. So yes, man. It's so much music that I grew up listening to. Sure. 3 (12m 5s): It sounds like it that's red. So when you learn or when your buddy teaches you how to rap in high school, you said from there you started doing what rap battles, where these like contests and stuff you would enter around town or would they just like at school kind of 5 (12m 18s): At school for real man, like, you know, it's not nothing like really organized. It's just like, you know, you hear the bell and then it's like, yo, okay, we'll be doing all right freestyle. And then we started like, we just cracking on people and that type of thing. So, 3 (12m 33s): And when do you start like writing music when you start putting these freestyles to beats? 5 (12m 40s): Let me thing. I think when I was, let me think. I think when I was 14 years old, I actually recorded what I wrote down and played it for some of my classmates and man, they were so positive about it. And I was like, man, yo, I like this man. I, I, I like, I like the feedback that I'm getting from this, something that I created for my bedroom. So what happened? I, I started to put these songs online and kind of like create a, so my friends, some of my friends turned into like a little fan base, you know what I mean? 5 (13m 23s): And they would, they would share with other people and that's how like, you know, the, the little fan base would kind of grow 3 (13m 31s): And, and just from there just kind of started to grow and grow and grow. Was there a particular song that, that did really well and it kind of changed everything for you? 5 (13m 40s): Yeah. Yup. Definitely is a song called cool kid. Yeah. I dropped the song. Cool kid with a video that was, yeah. I, I would say that kind of like, you know, kick-started everything for me for real. 3 (13m 59s): And w with that, like the success of that song, I mean, you put a record out the next year after that and, and like where you just seeing your fans, but grow, like, be doing more shows, like what was kind of the, like what happened or what came with the success of cool kid? 5 (14m 16s): What came with the success of cool kid? So last minute, when we, when we, when we did this song for cool kid, I got called by the director and she urged me. She was like, yo, I'm at this location right now. And yo, there's this tank that we could rent for rent outfit for the, for the video. So we can rent this tank for the video. And I know that we're like, you know, we're really on a small budget right now, but trust me, she was like, trust me, we need this tank and a video, if you really want to make this video stand out. So told her like, this is the day before the shoot. It's like, let's get it, let's do it. 5 (14m 57s): So we ended up, we ended up doing it and then two years after I got hit up by a, by an ANR and he was like, yo, big fan of the music, man. First question is, how the heck did you get a tank? And your video, that's crazy. Yo. And this, this dude ended up being the, he ended up being the ANR to the label that I partnered up with right now. So yes, 3 (15m 25s): Really? 5 (15m 26s): Yup. 3 (15m 27s): Okay. So you ended up staying with that guy. Yeah. Wow. Yo tank works. Where did, so the tank just came from, it was just there and you're like in there, like, okay, we can shoot with it. If, if we do this quickly, 5 (15m 41s): It was, it was at this industrial area and somebody, I think she, she knew that she knew the, you know, the people that like, you know, just own the company that like, you know, just rented tanks and yeah, it's something I've never saw in like another video. So something's definitely a unique, you should check that out. Cool kid. 3 (16m 3s): I haven't seen that video yet. That's rad. I need to check that out. That's incredible that you had a tank in, in with, 5 (16m 14s): I was on top of the tank too, so it's not just us shooting it as a B roll. I was, I was in a moving tank 3 (16m 22s): That is sick. 5 (16m 23s): I'm telling you, check it out for sure. 3 (16m 25s): Oh man. That's amazing. What's happened to happen. Like the, one of the songs that kind of really took off was that the first one on that? I mean, that's got millions of streams on Spotify. I mean, was it like, 5 (16m 36s): Yeah, that was the first time that actually a past million streams, 2 million streams already now. And yeah, that was the, that was, that was, that was sick to me, man. I was like, yo to me, I always just put out music and you know, I never really had a, had a thought that I would do shows and those are like the fans that I see or some of them like, you know, happen to be fans like that. I see at the shows, some of the people that I see at the shows happened to be fans, but when you actually like put out music and it's out into the world, you don't really, it's not that tangible. 5 (17m 16s): You don't get to see, especially like this is early Spotify days or at least. 3 (17m 21s): Yeah. Cause that was like 2016, right. When that record came out. 5 (17m 25s): So it was, it was hard to like, it wasn't tangible enough for me to see that I really have people that are listening to my music outside of like shows. So when I, when I saw happened at being like what it did in a week, in two weeks, in three weeks, I'm looking at the numbers and I'm like, yo, what the heck is going on? And it got added to a playlist and you know, it got added to it. And then next thing I know it's in the viral Dutch charts. Yeah. In the, in, in the charts. And I'm like, yo, this is beyond me at this point. 3 (17m 59s): Yeah. What was that moment like where you just like, well, this is really working. Like obviously 5 (18m 4s): I w I was just, cause I was satisfied with seeing like 10,000 streams on, I wasn't even seeing that type of numbers, you know, all my songs back then. So seeing 10,000 in a week. Cause all of my songs before that I think were below the 10,000. Cause it was like, I was just throwing songs and whatever sticks, sticks, you know what I mean? Sure. Then what happened? That bin took off. I was like, yo, this, this thing is actually like really, really like, you know, getting traction. And it really motivated me to go harder. Cause I felt like if I can make one song that does this good, like go, I'm gonna go to the studio and like, you know, just, you know, believe in my, my work and, and you know, just create more. 5 (18m 47s): So, 3 (18m 49s): I mean, you've got a handful of records out and like the EPS and like how did that F like once COVID happens where you doing, a lot of shows are supporting the record, have you done tours or anything like that? Or were you mainly staying in Amsterdam? The Netherlands area 5 (19m 5s): Now I'll tell you this man. I remember 2019. That was, that was a crazy year for me, man. Like show wise, it was back to back shows man. Like it was crazy. It even got to a point where I was like burnt out or I, I kind of predicted me getting burnt out. So I was like, yo, okay. I have to ease down. Just, you know, just At least have a record out because I didn't have a record to promote when I was doing the shows. So I was still like doing shows off of a project that I dropped, I think a year before that. And I had already recorded like new songs and I was kinda like burnt out, almost getting burnt out. 5 (19m 48s): So I was like, yo, I'll wait till I get like a new project out before I started doing these shows again. Plus I didn't want to like continue doing shows where half of the crowd don't even know my songs lyrics. And I'm like, man, am I going to be a monkey in a circus entertaining these people, every show? Or am I going to like, just work on the craft, put out songs. And next year when I do shows people actually run that run to the stage, you know, with the intent of like, yo Joey might perform one of my favorite songs, you know? So, 3 (20m 18s): So yeah. So you were doing a bunch of shows and then you're kind of getting your thought you're going to get burnt out. And then obviously everything shuts down. So now you, all you have is time. Right? 5 (20m 30s): And I'm like, God, that's not what I meant, 3 (20m 35s): Matt, is that when you start writing what became like, no, I'm not okay. 5 (20m 39s): Oh, I actually wrote no, I'm not. Okay. In 2019 during the, the hectic life that I 3 (20m 46s): Really okay. 5 (20m 48s): Yup. 3 (20m 48s): So, and that song is awesome. I love the acoustic record. You put out with all those songs, that cute diary and all that acoustic. 5 (20m 54s): I thank you, man. I appreciate 3 (20m 55s): That. That's a really cool take on, on the, on the, on the songs. So no, I'm not okay. That the EAP was all done in 2019. 5 (21m 2s): Yeah. The EAP was done in 2019. This is when I partnered up with the, you know, with the team and we only put it a year later. Yeah. Yup. Yes. 3 (21m 19s): That's when you get with four against five and all that all happened. 5 (21m 22s): Yup. 3 (21m 23s): Okay. And was that all you said that was based off of the tank video originally or no, this is a different conversation. 5 (21m 30s): This is the conversation for road that this is like, it's really what sparked the interest. 3 (21m 35s): Wow. So then they came back, what, four years later he said, Hey, 5 (21m 38s): Obviously the talent too. But like, 3 (21m 40s): But you know what I mean? Like, was it like, like they came, they saw the video recently enough to go back and say, Hey, or was it they saw the video, like this is dope. And then kind of watched your career build and then say 5 (21m 54s): It's really high wind because it happened in 2016. I only brought it up with them in 2019. So it took, they wanted to like actually see the growth and the ANR shot us to Joseph realizes, man. He was like, yo, I'm seeing the growth like online, but I actually want to see how this looks at a venue, like at a show. Cause he saw tickets. Does he actually like, you know, have good stage appearance and like, you know, does he know how to like put on a show for real? So he actually flew down from Nashville to the Netherlands to come check out my show 3 (22m 27s): And really? 5 (22m 28s): Yeah. Yeah. So he came to the Netherlands and he was so excited. He was so excited that he immediately texted the label and he was like, yo, y'all crazy. If y'all don't, y'all get y'all, don't get this with this kid. So yeah, that's, that's, that's kinda how it happened. And I think a week after that show, I flew to Nashville and then I met with the team there and I actually performed at the office, which was very funny. And though 3 (22m 53s): Really the office of Nash, just the, the office for the label, 5 (22m 58s): It had a department where every, the whole staff went to and they had a band, they hired for me. And I just performed all of my songs and I had everybody in their office clothes, man, like, just go out, 3 (23m 12s): Tell me about that. I'm in Nashville now, too. When I moved here, I thought it was a country town, but I didn't. And then I moved here and I was like, oh wow, they've got everything going on here. But yeah, 5 (23m 28s): Well I was disappointed and not seeing a lot of cowboy hats, man. 3 (23m 32s): Right. Oh, if you would've went on Broadway for a long enough, you would've seen it quite a few, but 5 (23m 37s): I love Nashville, man. So it was fun, man. Like, you know, just getting to meet these people. And then actually they're like, like people, like what I saw, you know, at a normal Jua show is what I got to see in an office, which is very weird. 3 (23m 50s): Yeah. Have you ever performed with the band before? Was that the first time ever really performing with a band as well? 5 (23m 55s): Normally perform with a band. So, okay. When Joe saw that in the Netherlands, he was like, we're probably not going to be able to like fly your whole band down, but we'll hire a band to perform. 3 (24m 7s): We've got enough insanely talented musicians here in this town that we can put somebody to get it together for you. 5 (24m 14s): Shout out, shout us to them for that man. 3 (24m 16s): That's a rad, that is so rad. So you signed the deal and, and how, what was that moment like? I mean, was it cool to tell your dad like, Hey, like this is working like this, 5 (24m 26s): I was mad. I told my mom, I was like, yo, I know you've been waiting to kick me out the house. But like, yo, this, this thing is really paying off. Look at this. And man it's just gives her just this feeling of relief. You know what I mean? And it's been, my life has been Sanford since I Simon has been like, you know, so relaxed as far as like not putting everything that I make, like back into the music, you know what I mean? So like resources wise, they've been, they've been really helpful and just really like on this side of like pushing the songs for real. Cause it's one thing to be an artist man. 5 (25m 6s): Like, but then you gotta think about like the whole marketing aspect 3 (25m 11s): So much going on. 5 (25m 13s): Yeah. Where I'm like, man, like let me just be in the studio and you know, enjoy my fans on social media, like all the antiques and all that type of thing. Or like, you know, I would rather leave that to a third party. You know what I mean? Sure. 3 (25m 27s): I totally get that. So we'll the newest one showed a good night. Tell me about that song. 5 (25m 32s): I told her that shorty, I love that song, man. Ah, man. Oh shorty, good night. I wrote that song. I think a month after this girl broke up with me, man, I feel like she broke up with me over the fact that like, you know, I did, I didn't spend enough time with her and that was really hard pursuing my dream. Like I was really like very, you know, girls need attention. They need all of them, you know, you know, commitment and all that. And I'm all for it. But at the time I was really selfish when it came to my dream. So I was like, yo it's either me or the grind. Nah, show it a good night. 5 (26m 12s): I, It was fresh in my, in my mind. And I was like, yo, what haven't I touched on music wise and what is relatable? My producer, like, you know, when he, when he was whipping a beat, I was like, man, just coming up with concepts. And that was like the first line man to shortly gun. I think, you know, stems from like that feeling of like, man, I'm at this writing camp and you know, you're, you're in the middle of nowhere with your thoughts. And that was like fresh up on my mind, man. Just speaking upon like, you know, something that just, you know, just happened and yeah, that's how it kinda kinda came about, man. 3 (26m 54s): You were at a writing camp on, you wrote the song. 5 (26m 56s): Yeah. 3 (26m 57s): Where it was the writing camp at 5 (26m 59s): This was this in a city that I'll pronounce that you're not going to be able to pronounce in the Netherlands. It's it? Wasn't hot. And 3 (27m 8s): One more time I'll be able to do it 5 (27m 10s): Hotter and 3 (27m 11s): Hotter. 5 (27m 12s): There you go. 3 (27m 13s): So it was in hot end. 5 (27m 15s): Yeah. Yeah, 3 (27m 16s): Yeah. I'm good at that. I have asked. Just kidding. Well, so you were there, was it something that you knew, like, is this a camp that happens like yearly? Like how did you find out about the writing camp 5 (27m 27s): And project mode? I usually do like a writing camp where like, you know, just kind of camp out somewhere and like, you know, just strictly music, we wake up music, you know what I mean? 3 (27m 36s): Was there a bunch of other artists with you or is it like kind of an organized thing or it's just you going out there and doing it? 5 (27m 42s): My producer. And 3 (27m 43s): So it's not like an organized writing camp. 5 (27m 46s): Yeah, my producer, my main producer Damie shout out to Damie who produced Nino as well. And he, and this, my video guy, Enzo, that kinda like, you know, took footage of the whole happening this all three, just three of us for a whole week. I think we went back into another writing camp a month later. So yeah. That's kinda how it came about, man. 3 (28m 13s): Wow. Okay. So you got that song out of it. And what a bunch of new songs that you haven't released quite yet? 5 (28m 19s): Yeah, a whole album that's coming out this year. Oh 3 (28m 22s): Wow. 5 (28m 24s): Like the first single from the album. And if you like that song, man, I can't wait for y'all to like hear the rest of it, man, because we've been sitting on it for a whole year and it's like, man, I'm just ready to conceive man. 3 (28m 36s): Oh, so, so the, so the writing camp was a year ago? 5 (28m 40s): Yeah. Yeah. Wow. 3 (28m 42s): Okay. 5 (28m 42s): Starting tonight is something that I've been holding him for a good minute, man. 3 (28m 46s): Okay. It's a great record, man. I can't wait to hear the rest of it. 5 (28m 50s): You saw the video video, man. We shot that last month in the LA. 3 (28m 56s): Oh. So that obviously that wasn't done around the same time as a writing camp, but that was last month that you guys were able to come to LA do the video. Tell me about that experience. 5 (29m 5s): May at least such a vibe man. So different from Amsterdam and the lifestyle and then like, you know, every part is different. I just got to meet so many cool people. Yo, when I was out there and one of, one of my friends general, right. That I met down there that I knew online. She's been, she's been so helpful, man. Like gathering people for the shoe. The experience was live, man. It was dope. Yeah. It was really dope. And I miss LA for real. 3 (29m 34s): Would you, do you, would you, is that something you would like, would you have, or move out to the states or do you, are you pretty content you are now? 5 (29m 44s): Who knows man? Who knows? You know what I mean? If I meet somebody that's like, you know, down with that idea who knows man? You know what I mean? 3 (29m 55s): Maybe. Yeah. He never, no, he never know. I see a mic in some headphones behind you 5 (30m 0s): Is 3 (30m 2s): Cutting. Do cut demos quite a bit from there. Or you put out anything from that, from that booth, right? Or from your little setup. 5 (30m 9s): Yeah. So I actually recorded the album with this Mike right here. Yeah. That took my mic to the writing camp. This is actually like a eBay material right here, you know, years from now. So 3 (30m 24s): Yeah. That'd be in the, in the hall of fame. 5 (30m 27s): Yeah. I bought it like during the COVID, since I wasn't, we weren't able to like really, you know, have access to studios in the Netherlands. So it was the first time that I actually had like a home set up, so yeah. Yup. 3 (30m 43s): That's cool. That is cool. And what about, you said you're always working so I'm sure like over the past year you've got more and more stuff. 5 (30m 51s): I'm seeing a lot of demos, man. So I'm just trying to think about what to do with them besides the album. 3 (30m 57s): Right. 5 (30m 58s): It's just too much new music man. Too much music. Cause even like, cause I just came back from LA like a week ago and it's just like, man, even like being down there, it's like, I mean like I think 20 songs while I was in the states. 3 (31m 17s): Oh wow 5 (31m 18s): Man, this is a whole nother project. What do I do with this? You know, so 3 (31m 21s): Sure. 5 (31m 23s): I'm just stacking the bus songs, like Pokemon badges for real at this point. 3 (31m 28s): I love it, man. 5 (31m 29s): Yeah. 3 (31m 30s): Very cool dude. Well, I appreciate your time. This has been awesome. One more quick question for you before I let you go. If you have any advice for aspiring artists, 5 (31m 40s): Any advice, man? Yeah, for sure. So you can't make a difference if you're the same, you know, look for your niche and embrace your niche, you know, don't run from it. Yup. That's my advice and assemble a great team.

Jay-WayProfile Photo

Jay-Way

Music Artist

Jay-Way is redefining hip-hop music. Based in Amsterdam, he brings a broad, boundary-breaking perspective to the genre, filling his songs not only with the street-smart swagger of rap, but also with the modern melodies of pop, the laidback cool of old-school soul music, and the optimistic outlook of the gospel. It’s a sound that hasn’t just set him apart from his contemporaries; it’s made him a genuine star at home and abroad, too, with songs like “Happen Dappen” topping Spotify’s NL Viral Chart while racking up nearly 2.5 million streams. Arriving in 2020, No, I’m Not OK follows the previous releases Jaynalysis, No Life No Wifi, and Teen Gohan, mixing Jay-Way’s most pop-influenced songs to date with lyrics about trusting your gut and rising above your obstacles.