Music
There’s an old saying in the music industry that an artist has their entire life to construct their debut album – and that’s certainly true for Jay Prince. A vastly creative UK figure whose work crosses multiple lanes, his debut album flits between London and Los Angeles, hard-hitting hip-hop and soulful introspection. Finally set to be released this coming April, ‘Shine’ is a multi-dimensional audio feast, one that finds room for jazz drummer Yussef Dayes and R&B star Estelle, while also re-asserting his unique voice.
Sessions for the album spanned an entire pandemic, and when CLASH chats to Jay Prince a few days before the big announcement he’s all smiles and confidence. “It’s just relief,” he expresses; “Relief that it’s finally happening!”
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The material on his debut album spans a number of years. Those pre-pandemic London sessions, and his life-changing move to Los Angeles; the return home, and his fresh vantage point as a man. “It was a good time,” he notes. “It wasn’t something I meant to do, I kind of stumbled into it. It was amazing, it taught me so much about other people’s processes, and how I can apply that to my own process. It was good training. It’s another excuse to make music.”
Intro ‘Nation’ was made “before I even knew I was making an album! When it came to making the album, I already knew it would be the first track.”
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From the introduction onwards, ‘Shine’ moves with purpose; rooted in hip-hop, Jay Prince is able to dart between soulful R&B loops and jazz virtuosity, without missing a beat. “It’s a demonstration of my musicality,” he says. “With my previous projects, I’ve sprinkled my musicality here and there. I feel like I’ve never shown all the facets of my creativity in one project before. So when it came to this album, that’s what I wanted to demonstrate. It was definitely intentional.”
“I mean, there were definitely moments when I got lost! But during those moments, you tend to figure out what it is you want to talk about, and that forced me to move with even greater intention. Every detail spoke to the next. It’s a project where I had to push myself, but also have confidence in myself as well.”
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There’s more than a few surprises here, too. Take ‘Cold Hearted’ – sculpted alongside Dominique Sanders it offers “alternative-sounding music” inspired by Tame Impala. On each track, Jay Prince seems willing to spin the dials, and see where his passion takes him.
Having spent a lifetime avoiding being pigeonholed, the breadth of this debut album will take even hardcore fans by surprise. “I describe my music as experimental,” he notes. “In the sense of approaching music from as many different influences I can get from the genres I enjoy. I make music I would want to listen to outside of me creating it – whether it’s jazz, or whether it’s soul, or whether it’s indie, I can experiment with all of it.”
“Everything I’ve done has always been rooted in hip-hop,” he insists. “That’s just what I’ve been able to understand initially. And hip-hop, I think, is one of those genres that can branch out into so many different other genres. It crosses over to soul, it can cross over to pop music, across over to so many things.”
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The London artist’s debut album is certainly a crossover experience. Take the righteous ‘Us’ – propelled by drums from Yussef Dayes, it’s inspired by the work of Ghanian musician Ebo Taylor. “It just made sense,” he says of the inspired recording session which birthed it. “I was Invited into a session with Yussef, and played him this song – he loved it! I felt like it’s probably my, one of my most ambitious records. So seeing it actually like reach the finish line was really enjoyable.”
His time in Los Angeles was also pivotal in Jay Prince bringing the record to life. Finding his crew out there, he’d link up with fellow Londoners for five-a-side football games, bringing a taste of the UK to the West Coast. Invited to a party, the actor – and close friend – Daniel Kaluuya introduced him to a familiar face, the R&B queen Estelle.
“We just hit it off!” Jay recalls. “Daniel put in some very good words. He was just like, yo, you guys got to work together!”
“It was so natural,” he beams. “But I was like: oh my gosh, do I even bring up the album to her?! I just thought, you know what? You only get one shot in life. I messaged her, and I said to her, I’d love for you to be on the album. She just said, Let’s do it.”
“I’ll never forget the Estelle I met at the party versus the Estelle who operated in the studio!” he says. “I’m telling you: class, she has class. That’s what I’m gonna say. She came in professional, focussed, locked in. She didn’t miss a beat. And I was like a little kid in there, laughing at every joke she said!”
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“This whole album, in its entirety, is about collaboration, and that was also intentional. And everyone that you collaborate comes with a different story,” he says. For Jay Prince, making music reflects his experiences – whether in London or LA, he’s continually meeting people, forever seeking out new voices.
“Just being a Londoner, I think you meet a lot of creatives,” he says. “You meet a lot of musicians, artists. It’s a cultural hub. I think it just rubs off on you. It’s almost like when you’re taking the underground – everyone’s in a hurry, in a rush, like you just end up just doing the same thing. It just rubs off. It’s that kind of city.”
Now firmly ensconced back in London, Jay Prince is ready to move forwards. ‘Shine’ is complete and in his locker, with the past few months spent editing, and reinforcing the project’s sense of creative unity. “I think every album I’ve listened to that I’ve enjoyed or that’s had an impact on me, it’s been cohesive,” he notes. “umber one thing for me, was creating some kind of cohesion throughout the whole album, from the beginning to the end. I think it keeps you engaged, especially in a time where music is coming out every week and it’s constant. I wanted to make a project that would keep the listener engaged.”
With Jay Prince now working on the live aspect of his work, fans can expect to see him in their area this year. Festival slots and tour dates in being lined up, with the ‘Shine’ era set to produce something very special indeed. For its maker, his long-awaited debut album has been a process of self-discovery. “I’ve learned to trust myself musically a bit more,” he says. “I think this album brought me a lot of confidence in just trusting my creativity a bit more. Everyone I worked with helped instil that confidence in me to keep doing what I’m doing and sharpen my skills.”
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