Jay Electronica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jay Electronica
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Jay Electronica performing in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Timothy Elpadaro Thedford |
| Also known as | Je'Ri |
| Born | September 19, 1976 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah (born Timothy Elpadaro Thedford; September 19, 1976), known professionally as Jay Electronica (stylized as J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A), is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in New Orleans, he first received widespread attention in 2007, after the release of his mixtape, Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge). Its success along with the stand-alone single "Exhibit C" subsequently led New York rapper Jay-Z to sign Electronica to his record label, Roc Nation in 2010. His debut studio album, A Written Testimony was released in March 2020 and followed up by Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn) in October of the same year.
Career
In 2007, Jay Electronica released his first mixtape, Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), via Myspace. It was downloaded over 50,000 times. That success and his catalog led to Electronica joining the Rock the Bells Tour in 2008.
Later that year, producer Just Blaze and Jay Electronica selected songs for Guitar Center's GAIN project, Fresh Cuts Vol. 3 and included a (previously unnamed) song which Just Blaze named "Exhibit A (Transformations)."
Just Blaze would later (October 27, 2009) debut "Exhibit C" on Tony Touch's Sirius Radio program, where it quickly caught on, making its way to terrestrial radio stations like New York's Hot 97 and spawning artist remixes from MCs AZ, N.O.R.E, Saigon, Joell Ortiz and others.
A bidding war ensued with Jay finally signing (November 12, 2010) with Roc Nation. Though fans and critics anticipated a full-length debut, Electronica's output in the subsequent decade consisted of several collaborations and non-album solo songs.
On February 7, 2020, Jay Electronica announced via Twitter the completion of his album, A Written Testimony, which was recorded over a 40-day period. It was released on March 13, 2020.
On October 5, 2020, Jay Electronica announced via Twitter that his previously unreleased album, Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn), was available for streaming on Tidal after the album had surfaced online two days prior.
In August 2021, Jay Electronica was featured on the song "Jesus Lord" released on Kanye West's album Donda.
Personal life
Jay Electronica and Erykah Badu were in a relationship for five years and have a daughter together, Mars Merkaba Thedford, who was born in 2009.
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Jay Electronica is a registered member of the Nation of Islam, follower of Louis Farrakhan and sampled him on A Written Testimony. The track "The Ghost of Soulja Slim" from the album includes a reference to the "Synagogue of Satan", a phrase pulled from Revelation 2:9 often considered as an antisemitic slur. As a result, Electronica has been accused of antisemitism. His verse on Noname's song "Balloons" also features numerous antisemitic dog whistles, including the Rothschild conspiracy theory.
Discography
- A Written Testimony (2020)
- Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn) (2020)
Awards and nominations
| Organization | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
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| Grammy Awards | 2021 | Best Rap Album | A Written Testimony | Nominated |
