Jay WorldWide on Transcending Genres, Obstacles & Zip Codes (Interview)

May 4

Jay Worldwide is a Rap artist who was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Sheepshead Bay projects to be exact. Not exactly the glam and glitz of what you would expect from a Hollywood script. But this is what you would expect from the gritty come ups of the Hip Hop genre of music.

Before being born, word has it that you could see the movements of rhythm in sync through the belly of his pregnant single mother as beats of rap music thump through the small project apartment. With all odds stacked against him due to uncontrollable and clichéd circumstances, a gem still shined through the darkness.

Dodging foreseeable struggles of the everyday inner city youths he chose music. Not only did he choose music he embodied the positive side of the lifestyle. He scaled away from drug deals, financed a lane through poverty, and most importantly, sailed away from gang activity.

Musically his talent ascends and transcends through different cultures and breaks through barriers of any background. Hence the name WorldWide. Still at a very young age he understands the power of words and the potential of change through music.

Tap in with Jay WorldWide in this exclusive interview, where he gets into his creative process, the power of positivity, and why it’s always been about more than just the music. Right now and only on Hype Off Life 👊🏾

Brooklyn has birthed many Hip Hop legends, like Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G. What does being a Brooklyn native mean to you?

Being a Brooklyn native to me means more than just knowing that we birthed Hip Hop legends, I look at it like my city is always going to get the most notice from people who aren’t from here because of what was accomplished, I’m always going to be proud to say I’m a part of it because the future is bright for me and a lot of other NY artist.

How has being from your section of New York shaped the way you see the world?

I didn't grow up in the best part of Brooklyn. So, it shaped me towards watching my surroundings everywhere I go, anything could happen at any given time. So, that's a mindset I keep when I'm outside.

You’ve had to overcome many challenges and obstacles in your life. What’s been the biggest one so far, and how did you prevail?

The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was having to go to college and still be able to make music, it's sometimes hard having to do school work and make sure you are on top of music at the same time.

I overcame this by setting some free time for myself whenever I got the chance so I would just finish all assignments then move on to writing and getting ahold of any beats. I would also get pulled aside on some weekends to go back to NY and shoot some music videos and record. So, that helps. It's less stressful.

What do you tell yourself in moments when your back is against the wall?

When I feel like I'm in a bad position at certain times I just remind myself that everything happens for a reason, bad could lead to good sometimes. Life goes on. I just gotta stay positive about all situations because with that mindset how could I ever loose. I gotta stay out of the negativity.

Everyone has that album that helped them make it through trying times. What’s yours?

Definitely “The Life Of Pi’erre 4”. Whether it be the original or deluxe, that's my go-to. I can listen to dude all day he's just different to me, and his music speaks out. Shouts out to Pi’erre.

At what point in your life did you decide you wanted to be an artist?

I tried making music when I was in 8th grade, but no one knew about it but me. I used to just look at beats on YouTube and write to them. But, when I got to the end of my sophomore year in high school that's when I started to hit the studio and create music.

What do you love most about the creative process of making music?

Usually, when I'm in the studio we just don't record and go home. It's I'm recording, and then we play around with the lyrics and the flow of things. It's fun when everyone in the studio is just pitching different things at me, to me it just makes the song come more alive and it lightens the mood.

Which part do you like the least?

There’s never a moment where I don’t like what I do. I’m always going to enjoy it because this is a dream of mine.

Where do you want to be in your life and career 5 years from now?

5 years from now, I want to be in a good financial position where I can support myself, my family, and my friends, and I want to be able to have the chance to work with bigger artists and help the smaller artists.

What’s the first thing you’re doing when you get on?

The first thing I'm going to do when I'm on is make sure I give back to my community and become a figure to my people and then hopefully around the world because that's the plan, to be worldwide. At the end of the day, it gets deeper than music.

Anything else we should know?

Keep a close eye on me because I'm coming in different, it's going to get scary in the Rap scene. Jay WorldWide is going to take over and soon everyone is going to see just how different I am. I'm here!