[Video] Jay Dot Rain: "Grits N' Gravy"
I've been following Alabama-based artist Jay Dot Rain for awhile now, since featuring him on the site as one of our First Look features. The crafty, soul-filled MC brings a flavor from the south that we haven't heard in a minute, doign with boom-bap-like sounds and soul samples what A$AP Rocky did bringing trill music east a few years back. Teaming up with BeatBlockaz, Jay Dot has begun firmly establishing himself as an artist to know as 2014 lurches into full gear. Recently, we got a fresh video for his track "Grits N' Gravy", the first single off his upcoming project, Trap Jazz, due out next month. The video, shot & edited by LeXander Bryant of ORGNZD, follows Jay Dot and crew as they kick in Tuscaloosa and ruminate on all aspects of "Grits N' Gravy". Jay Dot's last video, for "How I Do" showed the same squad doing their thing in Times Square in NYC and here they bring it back home. Check out the latest from Jay Dot Rain, below.
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[Songs Of The Day] 1/28/14 (Feat. CHVRCHES, Rittz, Inventions, Aaliyah and more)
As the majority of the country turned to an icicle, the hits kept coming and we got the latest song releases compiled in one spot here for today's songs of the day.
Leading things off today is Detroit native and Chicago resident Eryn Allen Kane, who continued to show off the sinewy vocals displayed in her last single "Hollow" as she jumps on a track with UK dance artist Moody Good for the thumping track, "Music Box". Inventions teamed up with an eclectic group of musicians in Explosions in the Sky and Eluvium Members to create a sonically gratifying song in "Entity" while one of our RH First Look artists from 2013, Jay Dot Rain, discusses the intricacies of soul food on his latest offering, "Grits N' Gravy". Rittz, Jackie Chain, Scotty ATL, and RaRa got the south on today with a rousing remix of "Pimpin Man" and CHVRCHES did some tinkering of their own, covering "Bela Lugosi’s Dead" by Bauhaus. Aside from that, Chicago's own Murph Watkins continued to prove he's in line to pop from Chicago with "All Is Fair" and Banks brings us his latest in "Brain".
Rittz, Jackie Chain, Scotty ATL, and RaRa "Pimpin' Mane" (Remix)
CHVRCHES "Bela Lugosi’s Dead" (Bauhaus Cover)
Mr. Carmack "Stoke It, Baby" (Aaliyah "Rock The Boat" Mix)
BANKS "BRAIN"
Murph Watkins "All Is Fair"
Jay Dot Rain "Grits N' Gravy"
[Video] Jay Dot Rain: "How I Do"
We've been following the musing of young Alabama hip-hop artist Jay Dot Rain for a minute now, since getting to know him earlier this year as part of the RH First Look series. Newly graduated and with a degree, Jay Dot Rain has been on his grind, traveling the country and building his name outside of his native 'Bama. His latest, "How I Do" is a furtherance of that building, as the video follows Jay Dot and co. around the streets of New York City, an ode to that critical next step in any artist's career. Check out the latest from Jay Dot Rain, streaming here below.
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[Video] Jay Dot Rain: "Youngest in Charge"
If you've been following RH lately, you've likely heard of Alabama native Jay Dot Rain. The RH First Look artist dropped his latest project, Memoirs of a Young Dreamer, produced by dynamic production team Blockbeattaz, not too long ago and today graces the world with his latest visual from the project for his track, "Youngest in Charge". Alabama is doing it's thing, check out the full video below here.
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[RH First Look] Jay Dot Rain
Jay Dot Rain is on his hustle. He has to be. Coming from Alabama, Jay Dot isn't privy to the kind of immediate exposure or fanfare that artists from larger metropolitan areas enjoy on the regular. Despite this, the Alabama A&M senior has garnered attention from the likes of DJBooth and Complex in recent months in the lead up to his well put together mixtape, Memoirs of a Young Dreamer, released October 2. Southerm hip-hop, and more specifically rap music from Alabama seems to blend together quite a bit for me, aside from the Yelawolfs Gucci Manes of the world. To separate himself from his peers, Jay Dot teamed up with production team Blockbeattaz to craft a sound that is wholly his own, bringing in aspects of southern trunk music, jazz and heavy bass that complement his creative style of rhyming well. I caught up with the Alabama artist as he was preparing for a Friday set in Hunstville to talk about coming from Alabama, staying on the grind and what's next for Jay Dot Rain. Read below for more in our First Look at Jay Dot.
Jake: What's it like to be coming out of a place like Alabama?
Jay Dot Rain: Coming from Alabama, man, it's just different. We don't really get as much exposure as we should when it comes to music and shit like that. It's kind of hard for us to get in like the blogs and websites and stuff like that, to get noticed by different people. We just don't get the respect that we deserve when it comes to music. Everybody thinks of Atlanta and Miami and Florida and stuff like that when it comes to the the south and Alabama, they think we're like rich boys or something like that but it's not like that. No disrespect to rich boys but it's a war.
Jake: You mentioned it's hard to get to the blogs but you've had stuff on Complex and DJBooth, etc. What would you credit to your ability to get out of Alabama with your music?
Jay Dot Rain: It's coming out of nowhere though, man, that's the crazy part. I've been trying to get posts for years and, I guess your music starts getting better and people start noticing but I'm on the blogs daily just trying to get in contact with people and make those connections. I appreciate you and RubyHornet for messing with me, man.
Jake: Yeah man, like you said, the music kind of speaks for itself. You mentioned the music getting better though, what's the progression been like?
Jay Dot Rain: Well, I really started in high school playing around with it with some of my friends. You know, we were in high school and we had a little computer program and we would make songs and just play around and show them to our friends. It wasn't until my sophomore year in college that I really started to take it seriously, though. Just making these different projects and putting them together is a really tedious process. I don't make tracks where I just rap on them, but actually write songs.
[Album] Jay Dot Rain: "Memoirs of a Young Dreamer"
23-year-old Jay Dot Rain, who received a RubyHornet First Glance, has been making waves from the south for a minute now. Having garnered nods from the likes of Complex and DJBooth, the Alabama product keeps a steady hustle, constantly looking to up his game. Alabama is better known for football and pickup trucks than hip-hop music, but Jay Dot makes hip-hop heads from east to west take notice with a variety of flows that line up with the steady production from frequent collaborator BlockBeattaz, who produced the whole project. Memoirs of a Dreamer is certainly worth a listen. Check out the project below and keep it posted to RH for more on Jay Dot Rain soon.
[RH First Glance] Jay Dot Rain: "Drive Me Crazy" (Ft. Lamar Cole)
"Drive Me Crazy" is the latest from 23-year-old Alabama hip-hop artist Jay Dot Rain. The song premiered last week on Complex, a testament to his reach. The beat, produced by BlockBeattaz, is wholly instrumental with and A$AP-esque hook. For his part, Jay Dot hovers somewhere between Lord Flacko and Drake as far as sound, albeit with an extra lyrical flair. And he's not afraid to sprinkle some auto-tune on it. The track is the first single off Jay Dot's upcoming release, Memoirs of a Dreamer. For now, check out the song below and pick up his previous mixtape, CooleyFLY Chronicle.