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/
