vialance album cover

Artist of the Week – Jair Dynast

When I first received my copy of Jair Dynast’s latest single I had no idea who he was but was instantly drawn to his song “Pull Up.” A few MySpace emails later and he was calling in to one of my radio shows to talk about the record, the serious physical ailment that kept him from pursuing another one of his goals, and what it’s been like living in a myriad of different places (Toronto, Barbados, Connecticut, Texas). With dope music, and an even doper story, Jair Dynast has earned the right to be this week’s Artist Of The Week.

Adam Bernard: Tell everyone a little bit about yourself, where you’re from and how you got into the music industry.
Jair Dynast: I’m originally from Toronto. I was born in Barbados and my family moved up to Toronto when I was seven or eight years old. I don’t know what they thinking. I got into Hip-Hop music even earlier, backing Barbados I saw Run-DMC performing at the Grammys one time and I just got into it right from that. From there I was doing the whole basketball thing and what not and I found out I got a heart ailment and I couldn’t do that anymore. That was a major setback, but really life changing and humbling. So I switched it up and I found out one of my boys was doing Hip-Hop and I felt like hey you’re doing it, let me see what I can do. I started writing and he was liking what I was doing. The next progression was that I was really into making beats so I started doing that and then boom, now here I am about to introduce myself to the world with a solo debut album.

Adam Bernard: With that heart ailment, does it affect breath control or anything like that in terms of performance?
Jair Dynast: You know what it probably would but I’m trying to stay in shape. I’ve been sitting on my ass for along time not really doing anything athletically but I started back working out and stuff like that because I figured it probably would affect that when I get up on stage and start running around. I’ve got some pretty animated tracks that I have to deliver hard for the crowd. I did a show at CMJ in front of a pretty sizable crowd real animated and stuff and I felt good, so I think that the exercise is definitely keeping me up with it.

Adam Bernard: Your lead single is “Pull Up,” tell everyone a little bit about it.
Jair Dynast: “Pull Up,” with that track I really wanted to introduce myself to the people who are into lyrics but also at the same time show that it’s still possible to have a record that has a lot of lyrics on it with something to say and still be movable for a crowd, like you can perform it and people will be feeling it. It’s something for people to call and response to, and being that I went to school down in Texas I’ve always been into the southern style of the music ever since I was there so I kinda tried to incorporate that into it, as well, just as part of what I like as an artist and as a fan of the music. I also had to put a little bit of my culture in there, as well, because being from the West Indies the reggae DJs, whenever they drop a record and it’s a hot record they always yell pull up and bring it back so I had to throw that in there.

Adam Bernard: When is the album coming out?
Jair Dynast: The album, which is titled V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. – Vicious Ignorance Amounts to Little Except Negative Consequences n’ Expression, is dropping September 26th.

Adam Bernard: Finally, you’ve lived in so many different areas, how do you feel this has affected your music?
Jair Dynast: My album is like a smorgasbord of Hip-Hop because I’ve got everything on there from Caribbean influenced records, to southern influenced records, regular east coast boom bap, I’ve got it all. It’s a record with a lot of flavor and it’s really due to the fact that I’ve had the opportunity to live in so many different places and experience so many different cultures. I just had to incorporate all that into my music and just reach out to all the people who come from all those different areas. There’s something on the album for everybody because it touches on such a wide range of styles of Hip-Hop. I also produce R&B so some of my music has a smoothed out R&B vibe to it sometimes. I feel it’s a really well rounded record.

Source: http://adambernard.blogspot.com/2006/09/artist-of-week-jair-dynast.html

skaterrap jair dynast

After receiving an advanced copy of Jair Dynast’s debut album V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E., we were thoroughly impressed. We had never heard of this talented, now New York based lyricist, but his intriguing story telling ability, varied flows and production caught our attention instantly. On the phone from Brooklyn, we chopped it up with Jair to see what makes this mc/producer tick.

SkaterRap: You seem to have a way of introducing things. I have an advanced copy of your album and “the Intro” is banging so would you introduce yourself to the SkaterRap community?

Jair Dynast: Peace SkaterRap heads! I go by the name Jair Dynast “One Whom God Enlightened the Ruler of a Dynasty” from my heart to my mind to your ear to your heart to your mind.

Note: Click here to listen to the exclusive full audio to Jair Dynast’s “The Intro”

SkaterRap: Your label seems to have ultimate confidence in you as a producer and artist. Having listened to your music myself, I can see why but what was the reason for not getting any outside assistance on your album?

Jair Dynast: There are a few reasons. For one, I feel with the topics I touch on and my opinions of society it’s better to go forward on my own and express these ideas. I am prepared to face the music so to speak whereas working with others you are collaborating and their opinions and ideas about things can affect the end result because in working with others you have got to compromise. Also, it has been a trend in the game lately for new artists to run out and try and affiliate themselves with someone who is “hot” or has a certain track record in order for them to be taken seriously by the industry. Personally, I’m not with that I’d rather earn my respect based on my own merits. I refuse to piggyback off of a next niggaz’ rep. He worked hard to build that up for himself. Why can’t I work my ass off and build up my own rep? Why should I be afraid to showcase my talents for what they are? I know I’ll have a few critics be quick to write me off because I ain’t shaking certain hands but in life you can’t expect to please everybody.

SkaterRap: If I wasn’t told that you’re the only producer, I would not have known. What do you attribute the versatility of your production to?

Jair Dynast: It’s partly because I’ve lived in so many different regions and experiencing the different cultures coupled partly with my love for all different sub-genres of Hip Hop, other forms of music and also me having a Caribbean heritage.

SkaterRap: Take us through your production process – how do you do your thing in the studio?

Jair Dynast: Really depends on the day and my mood. Usually I’ll start off with the drums, play a melody around it, sometimes I’ll bring in a guitar player to play back that same melody, bring in a violinist to play it, then break it down and make it into a sample and mix it up. It’s all about the vibes.

SkaterRap: How do you think having lived in so many places and cities influenced how you write?

Jair Dynast: It’s given me a larger visual of the country. There are certain commonalities when it comes to low income living. However, there are also some specific differences that give each place its identity. In writing about my experiences, I draw on all of this to give an accurate picture to the listener.

SkaterRap: You seem to be very visual with your lyrics and yet you use so many metaphors. Is this something you do consciously – how does this come about?

Jair Dynast: I think it could stem from the fact that I have a photographic memory so when I recall things I recall them in pictures. As for the metaphor thing I am just a big fan of word play so it has to be like that when I do my music.

SkaterRap: I read a review in another publication that said: “you are well on your way to becoming one of hip hop’s most prolific artists”. How does a comment like that make you feel?

Jair Dynast: Of course, it makes me feel blessed but it also lets me know that I have to work hard on my new material to make sure that I live up to these expectations.

SkaterRap: How did you go about developing the topic matter for your album? Did you find that to be difficult?

Jair Dynast: Not really, it’s so easy – it’s my life. It’s a combination of all my experiences, all my ups and downs, some of my friends’ experiences. That’s what wrote my album and formulated my ideas about society. Promoting the music is a lot harder than making it.

SkaterRap: I really love the track “My People” – it’s one of my favorites. I checked out your website and I was surprised to see that your Mom was really Miss Barbados. Tell our readers a bit more about this track?

Jair Dynast: Yes, “My People” is a personal track where I trace my bloodline from Africa back to the West Indies to now. I gave an accurate account of the events as they were told to me. The blacks in Barbados were stolen from the West Coast of Africa and enslaved, my great grandfather had an affair with my great grandmother who was an Irish lady and I won’t give up the rest so as not to ruin the song for “My People” (laughs).

SkaterRap: How is the work on your album going and what can fans expect the album to be like?

Jair Dynast: It’s going really well, we are just about finished we are just adding a few extra bells and whistles plus the label is in negotiations with a larger distributor to get the music out to more heads than initially planned due to the buzz my buzz single “Vicious” has generated. Fans can expect raw uncut Jair Dynast. Jair Dynast’s life experiences – since life is all about learning and knowledge rains supreme, fans can expect me to impart upon them the knowledge I’ve acquired about this struggle we call life. I touch on everything from the pursuit of that significant lady in your life to being betrayed to touching on voting, politics, street life and the pitfalls that await. Just everything you know?

SkaterRap: I was checking out your MySpace and you’ve got a crazy buzz on there and I heard that the album release date has been changed. When can we expect to be able to pick it up?

Jair Dynast: Yeah, it’s going to be early 2007. Yeah like I mentioned the label is in negotiations with a larger distributor right now so that it’s available in the widest possible market.

SkaterRap: It’s been a pleasure talking to you, Jair good luck with everything. Come back and holla at us and let us know how things are going.

Jair Dynast: No doubt, thanks for having me. Bless up!

Source: http://www.skaterrap.com/interviews.php

jair dynast mvremix

MVRemix: Jair Dynast is an interesting name, any particular meaning?

Jair Dynast: Yes, Jair is my given name and it means �One whom God has enlightened�. Dynast means �Ruler of a dynasty�. I thought the two meanings went well together and they convey the depth and feeling for my music.

MVRemix: What made you decide you wanted to pursue a career in music?

Jair Dynast: Music was the only other thing I was passionate about in life besides basketball and my man Burger (RIP) once told me, �if you work at your passion you’ll never work a day in your life�. He passed tragically sometime ago but that always stuck with me. Once I was forced to give up my scholarship, music was the next logical progression and it all kinda fell into my lap. So I ran with it� and here I am.

MVRemix: What do you consider to be your big break into music?

Jair Dynast: When I was signed to eMultimedia Group, dropping my first 12-inch �Snake Eyes� and seeing it earn the #4 spot on top 30 hip-hop charts.

MVRemix: Do you consider yourself a �conscious� artist?

Jair Dynast: Sure, I am socially aware. I consciously write music that speaks to societal issues. Hip Hop is poetic commentary on life and I poetically comment on my life and the lives of people in our society.

MVRemix: Who are your idols?

Jair Dynast: My mom’s my idol.

MVRemix: What are your greatest music influences?

Jair Dynast: Bob Marley, The Mighty Sparrow and just great music in general.

MVRemix: Describe your sound.

Jair Dynast: People describe my sound as eclectic. It’s a mixture of all the various Hip Hop sub-genres, along with a blend of Reggae, R&B and Calypso, another musical genre that poetically comments on life.

MVRemix: I noticed you’re West Indian, does your music show any references to Barbados?

Jair Dynast: Yah, you can hear it all throughout my album. You hear it in my delivery, in some records I mention things that are specifically Bajan and probably West Indian in general and the song that closes the album �My People� traces my bloodline from the West Coast of Africa, to Barbados, to North America�

MVRemix: What is the biggest misconception people have of you?

Jair Dynast: Well, I’m fairly new to the scene. I’ve only had two top 30 hits and I recently got my first #1 record � this being my debut album… So I think I am probably too new for anyone to have any misconceptions about me yet.

MVRemix: Tell us about your record deal and the label.

Jair Dynast: eMultimedia Group is an indie Hip Hop and R&B label with a focus on Hip Hop music that poetically comments on life. My deal allows me to set the tone for the label in terms of the sound as I am not only the flagship artist but the principal producer for the other artists that are on the roster. eMultimedia Group is a very professional bunch with a passion for heartfelt music! It’s a blessing to have this kind of support. So shout outs to EMG and the whole support staff!

MVRemix: How do you like the indie scene?

Jair Dynast: I think the indie music scene is fresh as hell� There is so much great talent to experience! Mans need to be checkin’ for the indie scene!

MVRemix: Do you plan to go on tour?

Jair Dynast: Yes, the label is working to finalize the details of my tour as we speak. I can’t wait!

MVRemix: Do you have any business ventures or hobbies?

Jair Dynast: Nah, at moment the music consumes me. But when I get free time, I’d like to mentor kids from the hood and start a �true� non-profit organization that works to end the wars that are going on right here in our inner-cities. We killin’ each other y’all�

MVRemix: Tell us more about your production work.

Jair Dynast: Well, I do various types of production work. I produce tracks for films, TV shows, ads, video games, etc. as well as produce records for the artists on the eMultimedia Group roster, along with my own songs. My production could be described as eclectic as I tend push boundaries during the creative process and mix in elements from various sub-genres of Hip Hop as well as other genres like Reggae, R&B and Calypso.

MVRemix: What is your favorite track off the album and why.

Jair Dynast: I don’t have an out and out favorite track on the album. It’s like being a parent, you can’t single out anyone of your kids as being your favorite as it’s not healthy and it’s damn hard to do. I love each and every one of my songs for different reasons. I’ll leave it up to my fans to buy the album and let me know their favorites when they reach one of my shows, hit me on my web site or on myspace.

MVRemix: What do you think about music today?

Jair Dynast: Music today is great if you are into searching for �great� music. If you like to be handed your music on a platter, I think you might find you are often disappointed with what you are served (laughs).

MVRemix: Who is your top competition and what differentiates yourself from them?

Jair Dynast: I am guessing you are referring to other artists? I don’t think it’s so much that I have competition with other artists ‘cuz we are all out here making good music and working hard for that music to be heard. I think my biggest competition would more be some of the closed-minded gate keepers who have a bit of power to control what people take the time to listen to and experience. I’m not a battle rapper so other rappers aren’t my competition. I make music about my life and the lives of those around me. This is music that will resonate with the people because they are tunes about real people, by a real person.

MVRemix: What artist do you think you will be compared to the most?

Jair Dynast: Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be compared to one artist more than another because I constantly do things my way. Being a producer, I find that when I am working with other artists they are always looking to make a record like this person or that person. So when I write and produce my own records, I try to take risks other artists won’t take. For this reason, people continue to describe my music as sounding �fresh� which is dope ‘cuz that’s my aim to begin with. When I am compared, it’s always a different artist each time.

MVRemix: What is your biggest gripe about the music industry?

Jair Dynast: In terms of the music industry, I don’t really have a gripe so to speak. I think the music industry is as I expect it to be in that it’s a business and businesses thrive on one common goal, to earn money. Through earning this money, we all feed our families and keep our lights on. Of course, in terms of Hip Hop music, I feel there are certain aspects of the business that could use a bit of reform so as to balance things out in regards to how our culture is presented to the masses. However, I think that there is a deeper-rooted problem there that goes way beyond the music industry and has more to do with our society in general.

MVRemix: What songs could never be found on your playlist?

Jair Dynast: Well, they say: �never say never�� Plus, I am pretty open to experiencing all types of music. As a producer or composer, the more music you hear the more your ear expands. I’m really into new sounds � as long as it’s dope I’ll listen to whatever.

MVRemix: If you were to be locked in a studio with any producer/artists, who would it be?

Jair Dynast: I’m not sure if you’re into Reggae or if you have heard of him but it would be dope to get Jah Cure out of jail and into my studio. See what kinda vibes would come out with him on one of my tracks. He’s a conscious Reggae artist who is currently incarcerated in Jamaica. I have a lot of Reggae/Hip Hop �riddims’ I’ve made that I think would sit well with his voice. He’s actually recorded a number of hits while locked up. It would be great to see him freed and able to make more music to touch the people!

MVRemix: If you could lock any two artists in a studio who would they be?

Jair Dynast: If they were still with us in physical form I’d like to hear what Tupac and Bob Marley would have made together.

MVRemix: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

Jair Dynast: Yeah sure, I’d advise them to dare to be themselves, dare to be different from what’s expected of them and their respective genre of music and prepare to be hated on but don’t watch dem ‘tings ‘cuz everybody can’t and won’t have the same tastes as you do. Keep doing your thing ‘cuz it will eventually connect with a lot of people once you have honed your skills and perfected doing �you’.

MVRemix: Do you have anything to add?

Jair Dynast: Yeah, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to build with me as well as thank all the fans and the DJs for the tremendous support and love they continue to show me and my music. Bless up!

Source: http://www.mvremix.com/urban/interviews/jair_dynast.shtml

soundslam jair dynast picture

Artist: Jair Dynast
Interviewer: Alexander Fruchter

I Ain’t Dumb

Jair Dynast had a passion for basketball. Perhaps it took up too much of his heart, as he was forced to give up his hoop dreams due to a cardiac condition. He quickly turned to his other passion, Hip Hop, and began to focus on making music. His songs and subject matter had a political bent, and he quickly gained a reputation for producing realistic street poetry. His full-length debut album is titled V.IA.L.E.N.C.E., which stands for Vicious Ignorance Amounts to Little Except Negative Consequences N’ Expression. SoundSlam linked up with Jair to get the scoop on the meaning behind the title, and the man behind the music.

SoundSlam:: You played college basketball in Texas, are you from Texas originally?

Jair Dynast: Nah, I’s a Bajan… I was born in Barbados. My moms brought me to North America. From there I picked up a basketball, earned myself a scholarship, and ended up heading to a JUCO in Texas as a stop off on my way to D-I(Division One), but God had other plans for me and halted my basketball career. And here I am…

SoundSlam: When you had to stop playing basketball, you started to pursue a rap career. Were there any other options?

Jair Dynast: Yeah, there were options but none that I was passionate about. Coming up basketball was my passion and next to that I was passionate about Hip Hop. I remember my n***a Burger, RIP, once told me. “If you work at something you are passionate about you’ll never work a day in your life.” He was one of those well-respected heads from my turf and those words always stuck with me. I talk about him on the album on a song called “Change.” “Playing pool in a club one slug to his chest death came/Our problems is deep rooted tell me when they gon’ change.” There’s more to his story than that but yeah I’m digressing.

SoundSlam: On “Vicious” you talk about a “crab” mentality. Can you explain that a bit, what motivated that song? Jair Dynast: Yeah, I’ve seen and bin privy to a lot of bulls**t situations. Sadly, I have to say the verses on “Vicious” are motivated by true events from my turf. Basically, since slavery we have been a divided people, psychologically trained in the art of self-hate. Differently, we as human beings hate each other. We divide ourselves into these groups based on color and/or race, creed, financial status, etc. and proceed to persecute each other for not being a member of what’s perceived as the “superior class.” Follow me? I wanted to do a song that touched on all this but for me just to throw together a bunch of metaphors talking ’bout it wouldn’t have the right impact. Certain cats would think I’m preaching or some s**t so I just talked about some “real s**t, ain’t nothing sweet like what sugar coat.” Of course, I had to throw in a bit of fiction to illustrate the point ‘cuz you can’t be baiting up man’s lives like that, you know. Thankfully, the song has gone #1 and made the impact I had hoped it would make. So thanks to all the DJs for seeing my vision and supporting! Bless.

SoundSlam: What is “Vicious Ignorance” as opposed to ignorance?

Jair Dynast: It’s malicious ignorance, seen. It’s like ignorance with a malicious intent. ‘Cuz a man can be ignorant to many things just due to lack of knowledge or experiences. That ain’t his fault, he just doesn’t know. But the ignorance I am talking about is when man’s dem doing things based off hate. Maliciously attempting to hold a man back, s**t like that. For instance, there’s a rumor I heard where a certain video channel wouldn’t add certain artists’ videos to rotation stating “the track is too intelligent for the viewing audience”. If that’s true, that would be an example of malicious ignorance. Yah feel me?

SoundSlam: Do you feel that Hip Hop simultaneously bolsters and thwarts the vicious ignorance that you’re talking about?

Jair Dynast: No. Hip Hop is our culture and the culture as a whole is not even remotely about that. It’s the individuals that seek to turn the culture into a commodity that bolsters this malicious ignorance by showing the masses only one view of our culture. To outsiders or newcomers to Hip Hop and rap music, it could look like that – if all they know is what they are fed by these conglomerates that control how the public sees our culture. Hip Hop is much more than what we are fed. For example, this radio personality named Tony Snow had this to say about Hip Hop and I quote: “then you have the idiotic culture of hip-hop: You have people glorifying failure. You have a bunch of gold-toothed hot dogs become millionaires by running around and telling everybody else that they oughtta be miserable failures and if they’re really lucky maybe they can get gunned down in a diner sometime, like Eminem’s old running mate.” He is obviously an outsider commenting on what these conglomerates have fed him. Are we cool with this? Don’t we think it’s time we re-educate these people about our culture?

SoundSlam:Would you categorize your music as esoteric?

Jair Dynast: Nah, my music is not made for a select few. It’s made for any and everyone who wants to enjoy it. My music is all about inclusion not exclusion. If I were making my music in that manner, I would be doing the very thing I am trying to combat and defeating my own purpose (laughs). The records I’ve recorded many people can relate to on many levels. Most of them are my personal discussions on things like love, loss of life, betrayal, politics, unity, street life, racial profiling, loyalty and more. I mean, I talk about an unplanned pregnancy situation. I know you know how many young people out there can relate to that, men and women. The music couldn’t be esoteric as these are all things that happen to all types of people on the daily.

SoundSlam:To write the way that you do, you need to read. What are some of the writings that inspired you?

Jair Dynast: I guess this is bad to say but I have to be honest with you, I couldn’t name a writing that inspires me. I’m not big on reading books. My life is too busy to sit down and read a whole book. The only books I’m reading per say are magazines like XXL, The Source, Elemental, etc. ‘cuz they directly have to do with my career and where my life is headed so I wanna know about what’s poppin’ in Hip Hop. When I was playing ball all I read was Streets & Smith, The Sporting News and Slam. I think you are referring to my vocabulary and I think that’s due to being raised by well-educated West Indian parents. Plus, I am fortunate to be college educated – even though I didn’t read much there either (laughs)… All about them Coles Notes man (laughs). I guess I paid attention in class. Most the s**t they teach you is boring as hell and pretty useless. But they have created an exclusionary society where you can’t live comfortably without that piece of paper. So kids, go to College, endure the bulls**t, discover your niche and set about to make your mark on society. Let’s see if we can’t improve on this s**t!

P.S. If your family can’t afford to pay for College, do a bunch of Google searches on Scholarships, Grants, Bursaries and financial aid. It’s all out there – they just don’t publicize it often – that’s my little public service announcement (laughs).

SoundSlamWho are some of your musical role models?

Jair Dynast: Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and The Mighty Sparrow.

SoundSlam: For many people, this interview is the first they are seeing of you, what do you want them to take away from this?

Jair Dynast: That Jair Dynast is a regular Hip Hop head trying to live up to his name by doing some irregular things in Hip Hop music.

SoundSlam:What is up next for you?

Jair Dynast: Continuing to build awareness for Jair Dynast, getting out and touring, etc. plus, I’m in the studio recording my next project and producing records for a stable of intelligent artists from eMultimedia Group.

Source: http://soundslam.com/articles/interviews/interviews.php?interviews=in061107_jairdy

space junkies jair dynast

Wednesday: What are “buzz singles” and when was your first buzz single introduced to the general
public?

Jair: Buzz singles are records released to build initial awareness for an artist. My first buzz single drop in April of
2005 and peaked at #4 on the Underground Top 30. My second solo buzz single just officially dropped on August
8th, 2006. The song is called “Vicious” and it’s the #4 most added single in the country amongst some dope
records from J. Dilla (RIP) featuring Common and D’Angelo, Butta Team featuring Little Brother and Big Daddy
Kane and Born Unique. I feel blessed to be amongst legendary company like that.

Wednesday: Tell us about your release “V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E.” and how has the reception from fans and peers
alike been towards this release?

Jair: Well “V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E.” is my debut solo album. The title is an acronym standing for Vicious Ignorance
Amounts to Little Except Negative Consequences N’ Expression. I just went in the studio and gave fans a walk
through my life experiences up to this point, and I tried to give a good description of my background and
incorporated a lot of my Caribbean Heritage in the musical compositions as well as the lyrics and the stories I told.
I wanted to use the talent God gave me to enlighten people going through some tough situations. As for the
reception from fans and peers, it’s been crazy! Cat’s haven’t even heard the full album yet and I’m getting
requests for collaborations from all around the world, and the fans are loving the single, already purchasing
downloads where ever they can find ‘em. It’s nice to have such a personal piece of work being embraced like this.

Wednesday: What inspires you to create/compose your music and what impact do you hope your music
has on it’s listeners?

Jair: The inspiration for my music is my life experiences. What ever I am going through or have gone through gets
recorded. On the album, I have songs ranging from racial profiling, to finding the right young lady to share my life
with, to being cheated on by my ex-girl and the feelings I had for that situation to commenting on the political and
economic climate in North America. I really hope listeners take away some positive inspiration from my album. If I
can just touch one kid in the hood with this recording I’d feel like I won a Grammy. I’m trying to effect change
amongst impoverished youth and how we think and see our lives. I grew up with many cats who always felt like
they never had any options beside what society allowed them to see as attainable and I’m here to tell ‘em that
anything is attainable in this life. With God all things are possible!

Wednesday: I heard one of your songs “Can’t Wait” is on a TV show. Can you tell us more about the
connection between the song and the show?

Jair: Yeah, “Can’t Wait” is the theme song for the TV Show “Make Some Noise.” The show recognizes the efforts
of young people who are using their talents and/or resources to make a positive impact on the lives of other
young people or the community in general. The producers of the show saw “Can’t Wait” as the perfect fit for the
show’s theme as it is a call to action for heads to get involved with and be educated about the voting process. As
a community our voices are powerful and voting is one way we can get involved and let our collective voices be
heard. To be clear, it isn’t enough to go out and cast a ballot we have to know the issues and understand each
candidate’s position on these issues and how that will impact us as a community. Once we know that, we can
make a vote that can serve to protect some of our interests as young people.

Wednesday: How does the cross-pollination of your music from mediums such as radio to TV to
performing live to the Internet helped or hindered your music and career?

Jair: I feel it all helps my career. It provides cats the opportunity to experience my music in various different ways,
allowing for them to catch the messages and just enjoy the vibes in general. They are all great mediums for
getting the word out there and making it possible for my music to touch that one kid in the hood that really needed
to hear what I’ve got to say on something that he or she might be dealing with right now.

Wednesday: What advice do you have to give young upstarts looking to join the rap game in the future?

Jair: My advice would be hone your skills, stay true to what you believe in and remove the words “can’t” and
“never” from your vocabulary – when it comes to discussing your career as a rapper or producer.

Wednesday: Where can our readers go online to listen to samples of your music as well as get in touch
with you or stay up-to-date on all the latest news and information?

Jair: Well… I’m all over the Internet like HTML [laughs]. Cats can hear my music on http://www.jairdynast.com or
at http://jairdynast.net/mp3/ also, http://www.rap4abuck.com/jairdynast.htm, amongst others.

Wednesday: Thanks Jair for the interview, is there anything in closing you’d like to leave our readers
with?

Jair: First, I’d like thank you for taking the time to interview me. Shout out to all the heads out there supporting my
movement and requesting my records at radio nationally, I really appreciate the love and support. Oh and the fans
in France that have been asking where they can hear my stuff out there. Peeps in France can tune in to 95.9 FM
Radio Laser Friday nights between 11 PM and 12 midnight to hear my joints. Bless up Space Junkies!

Source: http://jairdynast.com/images/pr/SpaceJunkiesInterview-JairDynast.pdf

Born in Barbados and now residing in New York is a rapper that the world needs to get up on. If you like Chuck D, Immortal Technique and Paris, then here is an MC you need to get up on. Ladies and gentlemen let UKHH.COM introduce you to Jair Dynast…

Thanks for passing through and taking time out to do this interview. Right, let’s start at the beginning. How did you get into the whole music thing and when did you decide to take it all seriously?

You’re welcome, thanks for having me! For me once I decide to do something I’m taking it seriously. I ain’t the type of cat to play de ass with tings, you know. It’s all or nothing with me.

It’s funny I always garner raised eyebrows when I explain what sparked me to get into music. My moms put the bug in my ear, yo. After having to give up my basketball scholarship due to an unforeseen heart ailment called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy; I was pretty dejected ‘cuz ball was my life’s passion. My moms saw all that and I guess in an attempt to get my mine off the whole ordeal, she asked what I was gonna do now. Of course, I didn’t have a clue and then she was like “well, can you rap ‘cuz you always listening to that rap music”. I smiled and brushed it off and then as fate would have it, I’m at my boy’s gates and he plays me this cassette tape of him and it sounded good. That sold me on the idea ‘cuz I was already so passionate about the music so why not get involved. I wrote my first rhyme that same night and here I am today.

What would you credit as your first break in music and can you please tell us more about your first release?

I would credit my first break to be getting signed to eMultimedia Group in 04. That really opened up the door for me to capture the ears of the masses. My first release was supposed to be the 12-inch “SnakeEyes” but I persuaded eMultimedia to release what I affectionally called my resume “Curriculum Vitae”. It was a way for me to give a jump off to the mans dem I worked with in the past set everybody up with an official release under their belt should they decide to continue pursuing music. It was just a compilation of a bunch of tracks I recorded in the past. Seeing that I handled all the production, I aptly called it my producer album. Off that eMultimedia released my solo 12-inch “SnakeEyes” which went on to peak at #4 in the top 30 grassroots Hip-Hop charts and held that spot for two consecutive weeks. That’s something really tough to do on them charts. The 12-inch also had a joint called “Struggle” a very personal track where I discussed the difficult road to attaining my basketball scholarship, the heart ailment and how that all affected my life. I have it up on my myspace profile and to this day, I still get crazy feedback from people listening to that joint. Example, a fan recently said: ‘“Struggle” is a monster! Unleash the beast’!

You seem to be well-travelled and have lived in lots of different places in the US and Canada. Where did you enjoy living the most and why?

There is no way I could choose one place over the others ‘cuz I had so many amazing experiences! In Texas, I got exposed to southern Hip Hop and the whole screw music scene before it ever broke nationally. Shit was amazing to me how they slowed popular tunes down to that speed and vibe off that. Plus, the Mexican women down there are tight and being on scholarship the campus life is crazy. We were hitting a different state almost every weekend! New York and Toronto are two very multicultural cities with large West Indian populations and people love to be around their native culture. I’m no different – I love my rice and peas and flying fish or some macaroni pie! Also, both cities have an amazing energy to them. They each move at such a fast pace you experience and grow as an individual at an exponential rate. Connecticut was dope too! We were only 15 minutes away from Bridgeport which is like the Bodiqua capital of the North East so it’s like crazy parties and some of the finest Latin women around! And you know as a young dude all we thinking about is dope parties and hot women (laughs). Barbados is home! There are no words to describe what it feels like to be in a country where your Godfather’s face is printed on the money and only a few generations before, your ancestors were enslaved. Having lived in North America, it is such a contrast so how could I possibly choose one over the other.

So the single ‘Vicious’ and ‘Pull Up’ is out now and doing big things. How would you describe these tracks?

Yeah yo, the 12-inch is doing very well it just did a huge jump from #21 to #9 in the top 30! I would describe “Vicious” as one of those laid back head-nodding joints you just vibe with. It’s a narrative track loosely based on true events that happened to a few close friends I knew coming up in Toronto. Also, the song discusses our tendency to self-hate. “Pull Up” is just me purposely experimenting. As an artist, most cats hearing that beat would automatically think club banger with a specific type of flow but I ain’t tryina be most cats, you know? So I wrote a raucous hook, chose an unorthodox flow and spit some shit to get people thinking. Lines like “…petty niggaz talkin’ keys, grams and slugs/I’m in the Gospel like Psalms gettin’ niggaz higher than drugs” or “Too many of us dying from unprotected erections/So we got bigger issues than George Bush wining elections”. I performed that track for the first time at the CMJ Music Marathon last September. It was crazy from on stage, I could see niggaz in the crowd grabbing one another like “yo, heard what that nigga just said?” (laughs). The label and a few associates were at that show and that sold them – “Pull Up” had to be one of the tracks on the buzz 12-inch!

The production is extremely original on the single. Who produced the tracks?

Actually, I handled the production on both joints. I’m glad you pointed out the originality of the production ‘cuz I’m really interested in carving a niche for myself and delivering a refreshing sound both lyrically and production wise. It’s beautiful to see so many people recognizing and embracing the originality of my production.

You are repping a more conscious vibe on your music, which these days is a rarity with everyone jumping on the gangster tip. Do you feel that maybe Hip-Hop is dying? What are your thoughts?

Nah man, Hip Hop is alive and well. I think it’s great how cats can really feed their families off their passion and have such long careers in the business. However, as with all commerce you have those who will seek to exploit primarily for monetary gain. These corporate giants have been taking over control of the music and are now promoting their brand of Hip Hop to our impressionable young minds. People in general don’t have time to seek out the truth and fall victim to our “convenience culture”. So a lot of us now are coming up not knowing what’s true Hip-Hop. There was a rumour going around the industry saying that certain artist’s music was too intelligent for some major outlets listening and/or viewing audience. That’s incredulous! It’s as if they are saying: “people in the hood aren’t smart enough to be exposed to certain types of music”. That’s ludicrous! I honestly think they have an agenda when it comes to our culture. They have taken the most negative aspects of it and are flooding the market with it. Whatever happened to the balance we once had?

The album is out now too. Tell us more about what we can expect from this long-player.

Yes, V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. will be shipping very soon! However, fans can pre-order copies from http://eMultimediaGroup.net and get free shipping. The album is “Poetic Commentary on Life” as is the motto of eMultimedia Group. Hip-Hop heads can expect more extremely original production with complex, witty, thought- provoking tunes; some very personal – touching on love, loss and betrayal, others more political – touching on voting, society’s pitfalls and more that just illustrate the true results of street life. I even have a tune called “My People” where I literally trace my bloodline from West Africa to Barbados to present day. VIALENCE has songs on it that will appeal to many different tastes.

What artists inspire you musically and what was the last album you brought?

So many artists inspire me – we would need to build on that for months, yo. Everything from Sparrow to Bob Marley, Nas, Jay-Z and Black Moon, to Scarface and Ice Cube, to Primo and Timbaland, to Maxwell and Mary J, to Jill Scott; you can even find me listening to Cold Play, Evanescence, Linkin Park, Three Days Grace, City and Color and Billy Talent. I’m real big into Conscious Reggae too, Jah Cure is killin it right now! The last album I bought just ‘cuz I have been too busy to cop records would probably be either Ghostface or Damien Marley whichever dropped first. Both dope records! Oh and I just got Rick Ross’s joint but that was given to me.

Your label eMultimedia seem to be putting in a lot of work for you. What’s the relationship like with your label and who else is on their roster?

Yes, the relationship is great and they are doing that thing! I have an excellent opportunity because I am eMultimedia Group’s flagship artist as well as the lead producer for the label. eMultimedia is giving me the chance to really craft that niche sound I eluded to earlier on in the interview! The next artist to look for from eMultimedia Group is Azaria. She is an R&B singer and is featured on my album VIALENCE. eMultimedia has also been developing a few other artists that they are currently in negotiations with but as far as I understand it, it is too early for me to be naming them as a part of the roster – legal issues I guess. But if there are any UK artists out there that feel you have something to say lyrically make sure you cop my album. If you’re feeling the sound I bring to the table then eMultimedia Group is the record label you want to get in touch with (www.eMultimediaGroup.com)

A lot of artists these days are doing mixtapes. Do you plan to do one soon?

Nah, mixtapes aren’t my thing really. I’m not big on rapping on the next mans popular beat. But I did do the mixtape thing back when I was trying to build a name on the local scene. I’m already in the studio working on my next album.

Have you done or do you plan to do any music videos?

Yes, we recently wrapped shooting for my first video. It’s for the lead single off the VIALENCE album and should be dropping very soon!

Have you been playing live much and will you be touring in the US soon?

No, not recently. The label wants to do it all in one fell swoop. Plan is start off touring the U.S.A., hit the UK and Europe, then Japan and a few other key spots where we are tracking a solid response for my music. That’s all in the works now so y’all should be seeing me very soon!

What would be your dream collaboration?

I’d want to do something different and unexpected. As far as collaborations it would be something like, Damien Marley, Jair Dynast, Rick Ross and Klashnekoff produced by Jair Dynast. Dah wah hit niggaz fah six! Four cats from differing worlds, you know.

So what’s next for you as an artist?

My main focus right now is promoting this VIALENCE album and just elevating minds as best I can one at a time. I’m making this music to touch as many people in the hood as I can because despite how society acts like people in the hood aren’t intelligent; we are and this album is for all the intelligent “thugs” going through the struggle!

Vialence by Jair Dynast is released at the end of October

Source: http://www.ukhh.com/features/interviews/jair_dynast/

chocolate magazine jair dynast

Immersed in the culture of hip-hop since early childhood, Jair Dynast (pronounced Jah-air Die-nast), “One whom God Enlightened, Ruler of a Dynasty”, never knew he had found his life’s passion. After being forced to give up his athletic scholarship at South Plains College in Texas due to an unforeseen heart condition, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, fate guided the standout point guard into the depths of politically driven street scripture.

His forthcoming solo debut album, V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. showcases the prolific street poet’s penchant for exploring “real life issues” with raw uncut passion through thought provoking metaphors and similes. Throughout the album, Jair delves into social commentary with emotionally driven narratives befitting the early days of our culture, overshadowed only by his epic hard hitting beats. He combines an inner city upbringing with his Caribbean heritage and category defying production.

Building on the success of his debut single, which peaked at #4 on the underground Top 30 radio charts, Jair was given an opportunity to introduce “Vicious” and “Pull Up” from his soon to be released album at CMJ Music Marathon Showcase in NYC. Performing in September 2005 at the Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan to a sizeable crowd, he was very well received. Jair Dynast’s new singles, “Vicious” and “Pull Up” are the setup joints for the album, V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. that is scheduled for release on September 26, 2006.

V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. is an acronym that stands for Vicious Ignorance Amounts to Little Except Negative Consequences N’ Expression. The album is chock full with 18 sonic gems ranging from introspective narratives, to head nodding concept tracks, to club banger lyrical exposés. V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. is an eclectic blend of hip-hop sub-genres and Jair’s varying deliveries that will prove to be a breath of fresh air for hip-hop while tackling the issues of poverty and violence, among others, affecting our inner cities.

is an acronym that stands for Vicious Ignorance Amounts to Little Except Negative Consequences N’ Expression. The album is chock full with 18 sonic gems ranging from introspective narratives, to head nodding concept tracks, to club banger lyrical exposés. . is an eclectic blend of hip-hop sub-genres and Jair’s varying deliveries that will prove to be a breath of fresh air for hip-hop while tackling the issues of poverty and violence, among others, affecting our inner cities.One song, “Can’t Wait” from the V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. album has already made an impact, becoming the theme song for a new 13-part T.V. mini-series, “Make Some Noise”, currently broadcasting on the C.B.C. Television Network. The track addresses the apathy that most young people have towards voting. Jair uses his gritty, metaphor-laden delivery to inspire his community to be educated about politics and get involved in the voting process.

On “The INtro”, Jair cleverly illustrates his tremendous writing talents, along with his “switch blade flow” using words beginning with “IN” to introduce his audience to his art. The narratives “Change” and “Profiling”, give us an in-depth look at his life growing up in the inner city, while the concept track “My People” finds Jair Dynast tracing his bloodline from the west coast of Africa to present day. “Vicious”, “Spread Love” and “GoRiLLa War” explore some of the darker aspects of society while “Converse” and “Keeps Callin’” discuss personal love and loss.

Lyrically, Jair Dynast takes us back to the days when hip-hop was pure while sonically moving the culture forward with his innovative approach to production.

One phrase best describes the album V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. – “it’s poetic commentary on life”.

Source: http://www.chocolatemagazine.co.uk/bios.php?article=21

Tricksta managed to get some words with hot eMultimedia Group signee Jair Dynast who has his debut LP Vialence out right now. This is one smooth cat with something to say. So read on to find out what this now New York resident had to say onhis influences, production techniques and releases so far…

Where are you from?

Jair Dynast: Above all, I’m a Bajan, born in Barbados! So I gotta hold it down for all my Caribbean peoples!!! But I grew up in Toronto and now I’m handling my business in New York (off and on).

When did you get into making music?

Jair Dynast: I think it’s been about six years now since I started in on the music. Not too long after I had to give up my ball scholarship in Texas.

What would you consider your first break?

Jair Dynast: Hmm, I would probably have to say my first break was getting signed to eMultimedia Group in 2004 and dropping my first solo 12-inch “SnakeEyes”. That joint peak at #4 in the underground hip hop top 30 for North America and basically set the stage for what I’m doing now.

Tell us more about the label you are on and the set-up you have.

Jair Dynast: eMultimedia Group is an independent Hip Hop/R&B label. The motto of the label is “Hip Hop is Poetic Commentary on Life”. So the focus of the label is to put out music that has something to say and speaks poetically on life experiences. This is the perfect home for a cat like me. I have the unique opportunity of being the label’s flagship artist, basically setting the tone for what’s to come from the label. I am also the lead producer for all future releases so I’m able to set the tone sound wise as well with artist like Azaria who you’ll be hearing a lot about in 2007. If there are artists out there reading this that write songs with something to say pick up my album. If you’re feelin’ my sound as a producer then this is the label for you so get at eMultimedia Group! (www.eMultimediaGroup.com)

What have you released to date?

Jair Dynast: Before I was signed to eMultimedia, I dropped a couple of local12-inch singles when I first started out. I was really just learning the business. After signing with eMultimedia Group, I wanted to give all the mans I worked with in the past an opportunity to get exposure so I asked eMultimedia Group to release what I called my producer album or resume (a compilation album) called “Curriculum Vitae”. I just got a bunch of tracks I recorded in the past with da man dem and got EMG to put them out there. Off that we released the “SnakeEyes” 12-inch.

How would you describe the music you make?

Jair Dynast: Musically, it’s hard to describe cuz I got so many different styles of Hip Hop and other genres blended up into what I do. I’d just have to call the production versatile. Lyrically, my music is aggressive, in your face, poetic commentary. I explore my life and how the ideology of this system we abide by affects my people.

Do you have a website or My Space page where people can hear your music?

Jair Dynast: Yes, I’ve got both. Cats can get at me via my web site at http://www.jairdynast.com or hit me up on myspace at http://jairdynast.net/mp3/blog.

What artists inspired you to pick up the microphone?

Jair Dynast: I can’t really pinpoint one artist or even just a couple of artists that inspired me to pick up the microphone. It’s more like the whole Hip Hop movement inspires me. Being that I lived all over the States from Texas to Connecticut to New York I was able to get into all the various sub-genres of Hip Hop and that inspires me most. So the artists range from Nas to UGK, Scarface to Mobb Deep, BCC, Ghostface to Dr. Dre n’ Oukast, you know?

What would you say is your biggest achievement in Hip-Hop so far?

Jair Dynast: I think it’s a culmination of things rather than just one. Elevating my music from that of a novice to having my tunes licensed for films and TV shows to having my debut 12-inch single becoming Top 5 in North America. Now having completed my first solo album, I’m on the verge of having this message of equality amongst men reach the masses around the world. That’s my biggest achievement in itself ‘cuz I calculate my moves by grouping a number of tasks together. When I hit the studio to record VIALENCE I set a number of goals I wanted to achieve: let people know who I am and what’s got me here today; reach out to the kids coming up with the same shortcomings I had; let them see we do in fact have options; make society uncomfortable by showing them how they fucking up nah mean and lastly, sound as good as I could doing it.

What producers do you work with?

Jair Dynast: Right now, I work on my dolo. Reason for this is that I have such provocative things to say on my songs; I’d rather stand on my own and take any repercussions that may come from what I have to say on my own. In the future, I’ll be open to working with other cats but for now I gotta do this on my own.

Have you featured on any mixtapes?

Jair Dynast: Yeah, these days that’s a must. Cats can find me on underground mixtapes from DJs like DJ Finch, DJ SA, DJ Law, etc.

Do any mixtape DJ’s or radio stations support what ya doing over in the US?

Jair Dynast: Mos def, I’m getting tremendous love all over the states right now we are tracking spins from as far south as Tampa, Texas, New Mexico to as far North as New York, Boston, Vermont and of course, out west and everywhere in between as well as all across Canada. The 12-inch for “Vicious” just made a huge jump from #21 and #16 to #9 and #10 on the two industry standard grassroots Hip Hop charts in North America. My single is up there with such heavy weights as Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, J Dilla (RIP) featuring Common and D’Angelo amongst others. It has truly been a blessed jump off!

Do you know anything about UK Hip-Hop or the scene in the UK? If so, what do you think of it?

Jair Dynast: I can’t claim to be an expert on the UK scene but I know a little bit. I think the UK scene is great because y’all have your own sound and style of doing things which I love ‘cuz that’s what I’m all about. When I hit the studio, I love doing something different to what’s expected. I’m feeling cats like Klashnekoff and the whole Terra Firma crew their shit is ill! I’m likin’ the stuff that Plan B – drops that whole accapella thing is dope. I always open my shows with a quick accapella to get the mans dem listening before the beats drop, you know? And there’s a dude I just discovered called L. Dot Man I like his style. I am guessing that’s what y’all call Grime, right? Sway and Dizzy Rascal are ill too.

So what’s next for you as an artist?

Jair Dynast: Next for me is just continuously promoting this VIALENCE album making sure as many people as possible know about the music and the vibes I’m bringing. eMultimedia Group is working on setting up a crazy tour schedule to support VIALENCE all around the world and just get the tunes out to the fans right where they rest at! So any booking agents or promoters feel free to get in touch! I’m also in the studio working on new material for my next album and laying down tracks for the rest of the eMultimedia Group roster.

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Jair Dynast: Yeah, just want to big all the fans in the UK and thank y’all for all the love and support y’all bin showing me! Big up to all the DJs, press and of course, Hazel and the whole eMultimedia camp for holding me down! Make sure y’all cop that Jair Dynast V.I.A.L.E.N.C.E. album September 26, 2006!

Source: http://www.britishhiphop.co.uk/features/interviews/jair_dynast.html

Interview by Tricksta