Jay Hester Jr—otherwise known as Jayy—is a hip-hop artist straight out of Lansing, Michigan. His latest single, “No Love,” pairs smooth vocals with low-key throwbacks (“riding in the passenger’s side”) to deliver a sound en par with today’s top artists. “Follow your own heart” is the message of “No Love,” which reminds listeners that sometimes you can’t put too much trust in the person you care about and have to follow your heart.
“I like to dabble in a little bit of everything,” says Jayy of his musical style. “I won’t stay on just one base of emotion. One day I’ll be sad, so I’ll make songs that cater to people that are sad. Somedays I’ll be angry or happy. I won’t just stick to one emotion while making music.” Inspired by artists including Yung Boy, Drake, and Tupac, Jayy started creating music about two years ago as an outlet from life’s stressors. His cousin was already a musician, so taking the musical path came naturally to Jayy.
When it comes to writing music, Jayy starts with a beat and just goes with it. Often times, he’ll link up with his cousin—the inspiration behind his music early on—and collaborate together on songs they are working on individually. Jayy plays around with beats he receives and sifts through content until he finds “the one.” How does he know when he’s found a gem? “When you start listening to it… I don’t know how to explain it,” he says. “it’s a little feeling, like a shiver in your spine, and then basically you just start going in and start freestyling to it or writing automatically. Like the beat speaks to you in a way.”
Jayy doesn’t just add lyrics to a beat—he elevates the sound with creative background vocals and skilled production. From the vocals on “No Love” to the beat drop at the 2:34 minute mark, his single isn’t straightforward hip hop—it’s a sound of his own.
It’s the people that keep Jayy going. “I love performing to a crowd and getting feedback and hearing people sing the lyrics to my songs,” says the artist. “Basically I’m just following my heart and my passion. Hopefully it takes me somewhere and they can do the same thing, too.”
Make sure to stay connected to Jayy on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/2XM8JXJ3Qr2NbMeJ9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaysavage46/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhesterjr.1
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jayhesterjr?utm_medium=copy_link