Jay Electronica is a strange cat. The New Orleans-born MC now resides in London, where very few rappers decide to claim home. He's released music sporadically throughout his 11 year career, failing to deliver a long-awaited full-length project despite signing to Roc Nation MGMT and rapping alongside the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean and Jay Z.
He has released some classic material, though, and almost all of it is super unique. Whether he's rapping about psychedelic drugs, splitting atoms, the Bible or his homeless period, it's always done in a very interesting way...something that can't necessarily be said for everyone else in the rap game. Case in point: we probably won't see Jay biting OG Maco or Migos any time soon. Or at least we hope not.
We do hope to see new music from Jay Electronica soon, however. For now, let's dig back and look at his 13 essential tracks.
Jay Electronica - Exhibit C [Prod. Just Blaze]
Jay Electronica over some Just Blaze wavelengths is nothing short of classic. With "Exhibit C" you get the story of Jay transitioning from a hobo to an MC. His methods are unconventional, but you can't deny a cut like this one.
Jay Electronica - Rennaisance Man
Going in on a hot J Dilla beat that Common made famous, Jay Electronica dropped this one a while ago now. But dope bars over a silky beat is timeless, and we'll still celebrate this one.
Jay Electronica - Exhibit A [Prod. Just Blaze]
Jay spitting some legendary bars over Just Blaze.
"Get that type of media coverage Obama get
Spit that Kurt Vonnegut
That blow your brain Kurt Cobain, that Nirvana shit
Who gon' bring the game back
Who gon' spit that Ramo on the train tracks
That gold rope, that five-finger ring rap
Running with my same pack
You can find the Christ where the lepers and the lames at"
Jay Electronica - Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)
How many MCs go in over drumless beats taken from film scores? You can't deny this guy's artistry, whether you dig it, get it or not.
"She say she never fell in love with a Superman
Christian, Muslim, Protestant, Lutheran
I told her that being a mortal is the portal
To the true nature of growth; the Christlike Buddha man
That's why I never spit the traditional garbage of a knife fight
Bright lights, white ice to the fans
The radio is just a stereo, like a house ain't a home
And a chair is just a chair, ask Luther Van
Go to work; go to church let your dreams die
Bow tie, Final Call, and a bean pie
Yarmulke for Hanukkah, wish list for Christmas
This is the gist of the life that we lead, why?
So you can fit in, with the closed-minded in the sit-ins
And get clothes-lined in the ed-end
I could care less about a plaque and Bid-enz
And gettin' Punked on TV by my friends
Don't get a nigga wrong
I get tempted by the rewards that all come along with making nigga songs
But what does it mean if I'm a Muslim and you a Jew
And because of that alone we don't get along
And when you talk like this, and try to walk like this
The radio stations'll never put a nigga on
Just Mims, just 50, just Wayne, just Jeezy
Dem Franchize Boyz, and Jimmy Jones
Fuck that, fuck rap this god-hop
Kingdom music for the hard rocks
I'mma spit it 'til TRL get it and Hot 97 hit a nigga with a bomb drop
Ask Flex, ask Slay, ask Whoo Kid
Just Blaze said Jay is the new kid
I took Eternal Sunshine and I looped it
No drums no hook just new shit
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
Jay Electronica - Dear Moleskin
Just Blaze might be making club bangers and DJing the same thing, but there's something about a chilled-out soulful beat done up by Just Blaze. Here's a prime example, with some solid rhyming by our subject.
Jay Electronica - Dimethyltryptamine [Prod. J Dilla]
Dimethyltryptamine is better known as DMT, a psychedelic drug that brings great euphoria, visuals and hallucinations to its subjects. You won't hear anything about it on the new Chris Brown album, but if you have an open mind it's a pretty interesting substance to research.
Jay Electronica - Better In Tune With The Infinite (feat. LaTonya Givens)
Elijah Muhammad and Professor Marvel kick this one off over a little piano before Jay Electronica gives some spoken-word type rhymes. Again, this dude isn't an MC for the club or for the radio, and that might be a reason that he hasn't dropped his debut LP that we've been waiting on for about 6-7 years now.
He does make damn-good music, and it's unique enough that hip-hop and non-rap fans can dig it alike. There's depth to this music; there's something to be learned inside this music. ENJOY this music.
Big Sean featuring Kendrick Lamar Jay Electronica - Control
Whelp, no one was really talking about Jay Electronica's verse on this one. Kendrick Lamar casted a shadow so great it's incredible Sean and Jay still have careers after this one. However, once the dust settled, all three MCs came pretty hard on this one, and it's definitely essential listening for a Jay Electronica fan.
PRhyme - To Me, To You feat. Jay Electronica
Jay Electronica hopped on PRhyme's album a couple months ago, proving that he IS still writing raps and spittin' 'em. While it's still unclear if or when we'll get a full-length project, at least we have this.
Jay Electronica featuring Jay Z - Shiny Suit Theory
Jay and Jay linked up for a nice one here. Although the relationship between the two is largely unknown, Jay is signed to the Roc. Whether or not that is the reason we don't get a whole lot of music out of him is unknown.
Jay Electronica - The Announcement featuring John F. Kennedy
Not many rappers have a feature from JFK. (Even if it isn't exactly legit.)
Not many rappers crush beats like this either.
Jay Electronica - A Prayer For Micheal Vick & T.I.
Jay had some words for Vick and T.I. while they were locked up. Electronica going in over a J Dilla beat can never go wrong.
Jay Electronica - Abracadabra
More Electron over sweet Dilla. This one might be the best out of all of 'em. Lucky #13.