Welcome to the show Jay, I've been looking forward to this one for a little while. I have questions.Yeah, I been lookin' forward to it too, it's been a long while. Thank you for havin' me here.
Beginning back in 2011 with your debut single “Brooklyn Girls” which I must say was an anthem for many of us back then, were you surprised at how quickly the song took of, debuting at number #2 and becoming a club hit?Nah, not really. I knew when that record was written and recorded it was gonna pop. It had a sound that no one was fuckin' with at the time so I knew it was gonna catch on. Im not gon' lie though, it became bigger than I initially expected but I was glad. I was grinding hard up until that moment so when it all happened I was like ..."shit" people really gettin it poppin to ma music. It was a nice feelin'.
Things took a hit after that and I think it would be fair to say that your career has been a little inconsistent and not without difficulties since then. You were arrested shortly after for possession of weapons and drug dealing among other things. You must have regrets seeing where you ended up as opposed to where you could have gone in the industry?I mean, shit happens. Imma say dis though, I did my time. The justice system is real fucked up around the world. You can't even really believe all that you heard about that case. There's more to dat story then people even think they know... and I ended up in a bad situation. I'm not tryna get into more trouble and for all that legal shit I can't even get into detail, but a lot of shit got twisted up and fingaz was pointed and I winded up taking the hit. But like I said, I served the time. It waz a learnin experience, nobody really know the struggle until they behind those bars. Yea I might regret wasting five long years when I could be doin other shit but I learned a lot about life. Little shit that we don't appreciate having every day I appreciate the f*ck out of now. Shit as simple as taking a shower, eating a piece of gum, having that sunday night dinner. Stuff like dat, little things we take for granted I learned can be stripped from you and then it could be fucked up. But I made it out though, I'm still the same Jay-C, just more aware.
Upon leaving prison, you returned to the industry very swiftly and debuted a track titled “FAINT”, it gained an incredible reaction and I still maintain to this day that the track lyrically is one of the best I've heard. How did it feel to return to the industry and get the sort of critical response like you received?Good looks, thank you, thank you. Soon as I got out I felt I needed to drop something. I waznt really lookin for some crazy uproar about it but when it did happen I waz like "ight, people still checkin for me" and dats a good feelin.
This has led to many people becoming excited to hear what you will deliver on your next record, but that track was released back in 2015 and since then your focus has seemingly been on collaborating with other artists, which is all well and good but the fans want some solo stuff. You can't give us gold and then make us wait almost two years, man.You gotta understand somethin' when you gone for 5 years....when you get out you got a lot of catchin up to do. I lost contact with a lot of people, family wise. There's a lot of catchin up I'm doin even till dis day. The hardest part Cara was the adjustment. When I left, there was still keyboard phones, blackberries and shit! When I got out, there was basically no such thing as that. Social media took off too. There's a lot I had to and continue to adjust to. Mentally and Physically. So imma be honest, music is always gonna be something I focus on, but coming out of prison....there was other shit I had to focus on in my personal life so I wasn't able to jump right in the studio and release an album months later. I had to get my mind right first. Being somewhere for 5 years..yeah, it was miserable but you adapt and you become used to it. When you come out, it's like, you feel like an alien. I had family that I never even met....little cousins who grew up and ain't remember me. It's real shit. Even getting back into rap and catchin my flow again, there's no studio's in jail. So yeah, you get me? Imma be real though, I'm back now. Doin these collabs got me back in my mojo...I'm feelin myself again. So shit finna be real...5 years...I got shit to say.
So, I think the question on most peoples mind is, when can we hear more solo stuff?It's comin...I been in the studio so much lately. I got a record that's gonna drop at any moment. I'm not playin, I'm ready. And its fire. There some collaborations coming too. So 2017 finna be lit year for me.
After all of the delays for artists in 2016, it seems like 2017 is gonna be the year when we hear some stuff that we've been waiting a long time to hear. Will 2017 see the release of your sophomore album?Yeah. I think the album gonna be done by the summer and I wanna release some singles so I'm lookin for a late 2017 release. Maybe earlier. Who knows. I'm just happy to be back recording and releasing music.
It's not to say that you haven't been working hard, because you clearly have. You're one of the go-to guys when it comes to collaborations and features and you've proven that you can work with a whole range of different artists and musicians. Can we expect to hear any more features in the coming months?Yea like I had said before, theres like three of four more songs that I just send back out to artists to wanted to work with me. I just did somethin for SYNCO a couple weeks back. These pop artists love havin rappers on they records, but I'm always down to give a song a hip hop edge.
You did a song with Cristina Lake, called “Heartstrings” and despite the song being insanely successful she received some hate for the collaboration with people complaining about her possibly selling out. What did you think of the small negativity that came with that?I think that was bullshit. Jus cus she did a collab with me and the song sounded more urban people was tryna shit on her. She's very accomplished and ain't got nothin to prove so she can do whateva she want. Cristina was out before I got locked up and is still around toppin the charts way after I got out. She know what she doin and she knew what she was doin when she asked me to be part of heartstrings. That track is fire, I don't care what no hater got to say. She don't either. Still went platinum too.
Rumours have been circulating on social media that you could be part of the big Serenity Scott comeback. I would certainly be on board to hear that and I'm all for a Serenity Scott comeback. Is that something that you've been part of?Na I seen her a couple weeks ago at the fashion show but we din really talk music. If she wanna work on somethin I'm down cuz that would be ight but for now thats juz a rumor.
Alright, so lets get back to your rep. The male rap scene has improved a little over the past year. But with recent rumours of Kidd taking a step back from music. Do you think there's a spot for someone to take his throne, or as many people have already stated, you're now occupying that throne. Basically, do you think there's anybody out there that can come close to you?I dun really see that much improvement. I did my homework soon as I got home. Studyin dese dudes and These n*ggaz is pop artists! They singin, dancin and shit. Like I'm a straight up hip hop artist at the end of the day. I don't see no other hard, hip hop, street n*gga out there right now. Dun get me wrong Kidd could rap and shit but I'm not gon say he better den me cuz how dat look? I'm not here fightin for a throne dat don't exist. I'm jus tryna rap.
Time for some after-dark questions, you game?Ight, leggo!
You've worked with so many names, Tisha Jackson, Cristina Lake, Kara Romero, Riot! In the Boulevard and so many others. Who was your favourite to work with and who was your least favourite?It's always a good time workin wit Tisha. Our sound go well togetha so she my favorite. None of dem was my least favorite cuz they payin me so i gotta like it.
Who out there that you've not worked with yet would be your dream artist to work with?I think somethin wit me and Miami would be hot.
What would you do differently if you had a chance to go back to 2011?Trust nobody, stay away from snitches and to work on my own.
You've often been rumoured to be romantically involved with a number of women around entertainment industry. One person, one evening. Explain your choices?I think Mercedes Payne would love some chocolate for the night. Maybe even Anniken, a young man love some older women. *laughs* don't get me started.
Alright, I think that's our signal to wrap things up. Thank you for your time and hopefully we'll meet again sometime.Ye, thank you Cara. Imma be back.
