Please introduce yourself. What do you do? Why? What do you want people to know about you?
My name is Jayy The Prodigy. I am from Phoenix Arizona and I have been singing since I was five years old but I’ve been making music since 2018. I am a nonbinary artist who doesn’t define by the general norm of things. I am a singer who sings R&B and other genres. I have released my debut album “Pisces” on all platforms.
My main goal is to help this who struggle. My music isn’t for those who wanna turn up but for those who wanna grow and heal. I speak for those who are emotionally and mentally broken. My music stems from the trauma and trials I’ve faced but also speaks about the triumph and strength I’ve gained.
Jayy the Prodigy is the definition of I am me, I am different, I have a voice and I am unique.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
I’m different and unique from many people in the industry because my talent and music are “raw”. I don’t make music to “gain money”, “be famous” or “wanna be the next…”. I am a nonbinary artist who isn’t put into a category of male or female. My style will give both and is definitely going to give a statement of “Jayy’s outfit is going to give us a moment every time”.
I am someone who sings from their heart and isn’t afraid to be VOCAL about trials. My DNA isn’t normal or fearful but one of inspiration and strength. I am a person who will be marked as someone who impacted fashion, music, and lives.
My voice is different and I feel no one sounds like me, which is something I wanted to make sure is known. I wanted my voice to show the pain, the passion, the strength, and the emotion I’ve faced in my own life.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you’re doing what you were born to do.
When I was little, I used to sing in church. When I would sing, I would hear compliments and truly love music but I felt I was meant for it on the day of my album release party. Imagine a crowd of people who love you and people who have impacted your life in some way, all in one room.
I looked at the crowd and saw faces that only smiled, cried, and shined. I sang 9 songs that were different lyrically but also vocally. I look to my left and I see my dad, my coworker, and my best friends. I look to my right and I see my mom, my aunts, my music mentors, and colleagues. Then I look forward and I see in my head, my little self just watching and smiling.
After the last song, I see everyone stand up and just give me praise for the album and performances. I cry and notice, that all I ever wanna do is make my younger self happy and keep the promise to myself to never give up and always keep singing.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve had to go through and how did you grow through it?
My biggest challenge was finding myself as an artist. I feel like someone who grew up in church, singing only at karaoke bars, you would be defined as a cover singer. In Arizona, the music community is mostly rooted in Hip-Hop and Latin Music. I at first wanted to please others and so I made songs that were mostly “hip-hop/r&b” then Christian songs and then a pop song. I was struggling to find my sound or what please me.
I met my friend Derryc Johnson who helped me crest Pisces my album and during that process, I discovered a sound of R&B mixed with a “spiritual” but soothing back end sound. During this proceeds, I was uncomfortable because it was very different for me musically but also vocally. I just started to watch videos of artists and noticed that a lot of known artists struggled with finding sounds until they got uncomfortable and trusted the process.
Fast forward to the album release party and when the album dropped, people commented like wow “Jayy you found your sound”. This was when I noticed I finally conquered one of my biggest challenges.
Who are the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could elevate your career or business? Why these specific individuals?
My top 3 people I would love to meet would be extremely easy. My first would be Jojo Jojo because her vocal ability is extremely inspiring to my craft but also starting at a young age and experiencing what she did in the music industry could enlighten my knowledge into me.
My second would be Kehlani because she is a force in current r&b but also she gives uniqueness to her music but also images. I feel with how different I am, she would help elevate my fashion and also image.
Lastly, I would love to meet Zendaya. I would love to meet her because she is a POWERHOUSE! She sings, acts, writes, and is a fashion icon. I feel with meeting her, can give me insight on how to really look at my horizons as I love to act, sing and would love to elevate my fashion.
Overall these three women are truly inspirations to me and I want to meet people and LEARN from purple who aren’t the norm for most.