Jay Whiss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Whiss
Whiss performing in 2015
Background information
Birth name	Jordan Whiston
Born	(1992-09-24) September 24, 1992 (age 32)
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Universal

Jay Whiss, whose real name is Jordan Whiston, is a Canadian rapper and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. He was born on September 24, 1992. He became well-known after his song "Watch This" was played on OVO Sound Radio in 2015.

Jay Whiss was also in a documentary called 6IX RISING (2017). This film showed the exciting hip hop culture in Canada. He is part of a hip hop group called Prime Boys, with his friends Jimmy Prime and Donnie. The Prime Boys released their first album, Koba World, in 2018. It got a great review! Jay Whiss also appeared in a short film called Remember Me, Toronto (2019).

In 2019, Jay Whiss started his solo career. He released an EP called Dark Clouds after signing with Universal Music Canada. This EP had three songs, including "Every Night" with Jimmy Prime and Safe. It was a preview for his first full album. Jay Whiss's first solo album, Peace of Mind, came out on March 3, 2020. This album also got a good review.

About Jay Whiss's Life and Career

Early Life: Growing Up in Toronto

Jay Whiss was born in 1992. His mother is Irish and his father is from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He was an only child and was raised by his mother. They moved to St. Lawrence, Toronto when he was very young.

Jay Whiss says he had a normal childhood. He played hockey and soccer. When he was 11, he moved to another part of Toronto. But he still spent time in The Esplanade area. He went to several high schools but left before finishing.

His family did not have a musical background. However, his mother worked part-time at HMV. She would bring home many music CDs from different styles. This helped him love music. He remembers his father joking that he knew all song lyrics but not his homework! Some of his first musical heroes were Ludacris, Missy Elliot, The Notorious B.I.G., and Jay Z. He also looked up to Canadian artists like Solitair, Kardinal Offishall, and Point Blank.

Starting His Music Career: 2011–2015

Jay Whiss began rapping in 2010 when he was 17. It was a way for him to share his feelings. He released his first song, "Chasing a Dream," in January 2011. Then came "2011 Til Infinity" in February of the same year. Both songs had music videos made by Tristan Prime, who works with Prime Boys. But these songs did not get much attention at first.

In 2013, Jay Whiss and the Prime Boys started to get noticed in their local area. They became known across Canada with their song "I Heard" in 2014. Jimmy Prime, a key member of the group, helped make the nickname "The Six" popular for Toronto. Even famous rappers like Drake use this name now.

Jimmy Prime released his mixtape Block Boy in 2015. Jay Whiss was featured on a song called "Best One." This led to a photoshoot by Vice, which helped the group get more attention. Jay Whiss's song "Imagine Us" was played on OVO Sound Radio in September 2015. This was thanks to record label manager Oliver El-Khatib. In November 2015, Whiss released "Watch This." The music video for "Watch This" featured his friends Jimmy Prime, Donnie, and Safe. He then released "Need it all," which featured Jimmy Prime. This song was also played on OVO Sound Radio.

Koba World: 2016–2018

In 2016, another Toronto artist named Safe caught the attention of Drake. Jay Whiss had been quiet with new music for a while. But a few months later, he released "Driven," featuring Safe.

A new supergroup called Full Circle formed in Toronto. It included all three Prime Boys and three members of the Halal Gang. Their song "Full Circle" came out in September 2016. It quickly became very popular, getting over a million views in a year. People called them the "all-star team" of Toronto street rap. This song also made it onto OVO Sound Radio.

Jay Whiss and the Prime Boys became good friends with Toronto producer Murda Beatz in 2016. Murda Beatz helped produce their music. Jay Whiss was featured on Murda Beatz's mixtape Keep God First in 2016.

Jay Whiss's song "Welcome to the Life" was added to Spotify's Northern Bars playlist in May 2017. This playlist highlights Canadian Hip Hop. In June 2017, the uTOpia music festival in Toronto showcased new artists. Jimmy Prime performed and brought out Jay Whiss and Donnie. They performed with other artists like Smoke Dawg and Puffy L'z.

Whiss also appeared in the Noisey documentary 6IX RISING. This film explored Toronto's growing hip-hop scene after the success of Drake and The Weeknd. The film was shown to a special audience in November 2017.

In January 2018, Whiss announced that the Prime Boys were working on their first album together. It was first called Prime Forever. The group released the song "Tinted" in February. The music video showed them riding ATVs on a frozen lake. This song helped Prime Boys and Canadian hip-hop gain more attention.

In March 2018, Clash magazine interviewed Jay Whiss about the Toronto music scene. He said that Toronto is no longer a secret and he wants his music to reach everywhere. Sadly, Smoke Dawg and Koba Prime, who were close to the group, passed away in June 2018. The Prime Boys changed their album name to Koba World to honor Koba Prime. Jay Whiss said that "names never die" and their names will live on through the album.

Koba World was released on July 27, 2018. It included the songs "Hold Me Down" and "Sopranos." Jay Whiss also helped sell special Prime Boys clothes at a pop-up shop in August 2018. Jay Whiss was featured on Smoke Dawg's album Struggle Before Glory in November 2018.

Peace of Mind: 2019–Present

Jay Whiss was named one of XXL's Top 15 Toronto rappers in 2019. In January 2019, he signed a deal with Universal Music Canada. Mustafa the Poet released the short film Remember Me, Toronto in March 2019. This film talked about gun violence in Toronto. It featured many Toronto rappers, including Jay Whiss, discussing how they want to be remembered.

Jay Whiss released his first solo work under Universal, the EP Dark Cloud, in June 2019. This EP was also featured on Spotify's Northern Sound playlist. It included songs like "How It Goes" and "Every Night," with Jimmy Prime and Safe. The EP was dedicated to Koba and Smoke Dawg. It was a preview for his first full album.

Jay Whiss also appeared on songs by other artists. He was on Puffy L'z's album Take No L'z in August 2019. He also featured on Donnie's album From the Beginning to the End in November 2019. In December 2019, Jay Whiss was on the song "The World is Yours" with Jimmy Prime and Safe.

Complex magazine listed Whiss as one of the Top 20 Canadian Artists to Watch Out For in 2020. In December 2019, Whiss announced that his first album, Peace of Mind, would come out in early 2020. The first song from the album, "Valet," came out in December 2019. It featured Puffy L'z and was produced by Murda Beatz. Another song, "Lay Low," featuring Donnie, was released in February 2020. The album came out on March 3, 2020. It included a song with Jimmy Prime called "Left Me For Dead." The album received a good review from Exclaim! magazine. They said Whiss balances fun with thoughtful lyrics, making it a great listen.

Jay Whiss's Artistry

Musical Influences

Jay Whiss has said that many hip hop artists have influenced his rapping style. These include Ludacris, Missy Elliot, The Notorious B.I.G., and Jay Z. He also gives credit to Canadian musicians like Solitair, Kardinal Offishall, and Point Blank.

Discography

Studio albums

• Peace of Mind (2020)

Collaboration albums

• Koba World (2018) (with Prime Boys)

Appearance on compilations

• "Brown Money" Keep God First (Murda Beatz, 2016)
• "World Is Yours" NorthernSound (6ixbuzz, 2019)

Filmography