Jay Who? Exactly!

In hip hop, it seems like everyone and they momma is named Jay (or J-) something or other. Jay-Z. J-Dilla. J-Live. J-Zone. Jay Electronica.And today’s featured artist is no different. “Jay Who?” you ask, to which I simply respond, “Exactly!” That’s right, today’s featured artist is called Jay Who? (aka Jamie Wholigan). He’s an emcee, producer, and a “member of the ‘Jay’ club,” representing Chicago, and “trying to give rap a facelift.”

With all the artists coming out of Chi-city in recent times, you might be wondering, “what set’s this guy apart?” Jay Who? is mad creative productionwise, managing to use samples ranging anywhere from oldschool funk, to a Rhianna single, to the Name Game, to that crazy girl on the Atlanta subway. This is something he intentionally does, trying to bring samples that other producers would be afraid to touch, and using stuff that sets off a little voice in his head that tells him, “Oh shit! I need to sample this!” And the voice is right, he definitely has a unique and fresh sound. And according to him, we can expect to see some even more bizzare stuff in the future. I for one, can’t wait.

Lyrically, he’s very good. On the track Computer Luv he plays out a conversation between two internet lovers, and then works it towards a twist that raises questions about the internet age. The whole time, he plays out each character with different voices(imagine Slick Rick on steroids X Ugly Duckling). Without Me is another track where he plays out different characters (such as a wig, makeup, contacts, and all the other things this girl thinks she needs to attract guys). Those are just two of his really creative tracks, but honestly, there isn’t a weak track in the bunch. He consistently hits hard, from track to track, and even makes some very poignant skits, a seemingly lost art these days. The album is front to back goodness.

Jay Who? is definitely a breath of fresh air, but as he puts it, that “isnt saying much these days being that the ‘air’ is so fuckin’ polluted that any song without a T-Pain hook is like hearing Nas ‘Illmatic’ for the first time.” Agreed. But he’s a humble man… when I asked him what he would do if he met Soulja Boy walking down the street, he admitted he would, “probably turn into a fanboy and ask him for an autograph, take a picture and post that shit on myspace!!” Definitely a cool, down to earth guy, who makes some dope music.

So you’ve heard me talk, now its time for you to listen and decide for yourself. Download his debut album for free.