Grambling State University is known for its legendary football team and talented band. But Jay-Me, from Shreveport plans to take Grambling with him while he progresses in his musical career.
Some of you might recognize him from a few years ago when he shot his first video “What’s Next?” with superstar rapper Juvenile at Grambling.
In a short period of time Jay-Mee went from rapping in front of the student union at Grambling to being in the studio with stars like Juvenile and Bun B and on tour opening for the likes of K-Ci and JoJo and David Banner in front of 20.000 people. Easy to say Jay-Mee’s music went further than Grambling. He found himself wearing canary yellow diamonds and selling over 25,000 albums, but also got a first class education in the harshness of the music industry. Jay-Mee was wearing the diamonds performing at the venues and sometimes not even getting paid for shows. But he stayed on his hustle to keep the lights on at home and ride in big nice cars.
Now he is educated in the business and says, “I have had some of the best of times, and some of the worst of times, and I can drop an album any time.But I came back to Grambling to finish with my degree.”
One of the worst of times Jay-Mee found himself in was a rap beef with a local legend that went so far that it had his brother kill another man so two people have lost their lives and won’t be able to live to their full potential.
Jay-Mee only wanted to tell the story to show other artists out there that rap beefs can easily turn deadly and it’s not worth it.
“The beef I had was simply a classic rap beef, but outsiders who didn’t have any passion for the music instigated and made the beef bigger than it was,” Jay-Mee said. “But after it was all over, nobody was there except my family and the other rapper’s family and one person died, and my brother is now in prison awaiting trial.”
Jay-Mee, whose rap style cannot be defined, is not a gangsta rapper but is a hustler; is not a violent person, but does severely slice a beat with his unique sound. His first single “What’s Next?” went from Grambling, to appearing on the Roscoe’s Chicken N Waffles movie. His second big hit was “Do the Donkey Kong,” which was in consistent rotation on the radio in the 318 and other area codes.
With the plethora of people trying to rap in the industry what inspires Jay-Mee to rap?
“Teachers and preachers are having a hard time reaching the youth because a lot of people aren’t listening or not going to church,” he said. So it’s part of my duty to put a good message in my music because God gave me this talent to do something positive.”
So far Jay-Mee is on the right path and laying the foundation for his new label, Rock Star Entertainment, which he started after a disagreement with his previous one. Rock Star Entertainment isn’t just a label, it’s a place that believes in teaching its artist the business and helps promote other artists. It’s a full-service entertainment company that thanks Grambling for all its support and believes that Grambling is a goldmine for young musicians.
While Jay-Mee is preparing to jump back in the studio, and he is setting up a rap battle called Who Wants To Be An MC.” The winner gets to record in a first-class studio and is guaranteed radio play in Shreveport and other areas as well as other prizes that will be announced during the battle.
Jay-Mee is also celebrating his birthday Friday at the Ruston Civic Center. Special guest ESG of the original Screwed Up Click will be in attendance. Everybody is invited, especially the students. Jay-Mee wanted to give a special shout out to Grambling’s own hot rap duo Cook N’ Cash and said he hopes to see them there.
What’s next for this young artist who coined the term, making audiences across the nation say “What’s Next?” A new DVD called I-20 Unplugged will feature different events in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, and the rest is unknown. But Jay-Mee’s potential has no limits. Watch for his progression and catch his video and profile at launch.com by typing in Jay-Mee or “What’s Next.”