Jay Loud on Growth, Getting It Out The Mud & Leaving A Legacy
Hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana aka“Nap Town”, it took a lot for recording artist Jay Loud to get to where he is now. An artist on a steady rise, he has given the world some great music that is easily relatable, and talk about real life situations. Signed to Asylum Records and recently released his “Deep End” project, he looks to conquer the globe, and leave a blueprint for future generations to follow.
We caught up with Jay Loud recently to talk about his Nap Town roots, moving to Washington, overcoming homelessness, being given the gift of musical talent, and a lot more. Check it out below, you’re gonna learn something new, and connect with a great artist.
Thanks for coming through! How has 2021 been treating you?
It’s been a blessing really, I can’t complain too much. It has been aight so far.
As a Nap Town native, how would you say the city has shaped you into the man and artist you’ve become?
It’s more about having a certain mindset rather than just being from a certain place. A lot of people may come from rough areas, but it’s up to them to decide if they want to continue living a rough life, or elevate from it. If I learned anything growing up in Nap Town, one was to always be on my guard up, and the other is to not let anyone or anything persuade me to do anything stupid. With those in mind, I was able to stay away from negativity, not get caught up in anything stupid, not do the most out here, and see the real from the fake. Nap Town gave me some preparation.
Why did you decide to move to Washington, in particular?
It wasn’t an option really, more like an opportunity to escape. A friend of mine told me that in order to grow, I had to move to Washington, and that I did. I was homeless there for a little while, but a blessing came through for me, I was able to make music, and just be free artistically.
Speaking of homelessness and lack of employment, that did you tell yourself during that time to keep going?
I don’t know what I did to motivate myself, to be honest. I just kept working towards getting on my feet and out of those situations. I was giving up at points, and I wasn’t caring about music anymore. Even though I had the gift of making music from my parents, the drive just wasn’t there for me during that time. All I did for the most part was try to get on my feet and live a regular life.
If I do Hip Hop, I gotta have R&B and vice versa. These two genres are the life blood to my music
Also, speaking of having the gift of making music from your family, when did you know that you had it?
I could say around the age of 5 because that’s when I started getting into music. I was in the car with my mom and started singing, and it caught her by surprised that I did it well.
So, you just released a new EP, “Deep End” that explores your R&B side. What do you love most about the genre?
When it comes to my music, I tend to draw inspiration from different sounds. I don’t stick to one genre, so I have this freedom to explore and experiment. Hip Hop and R&B overall make up the soul of my music, and I bring other sounds in and blend them together.
How would you say Hip Hop and R&B go hand in hand in relation to your sound?
Put it this way, I don’t eat peanut butter in my PB&J sandwiches anymore (haha). Put Hip Hop and R&B in that situation, I can’t have one without the other. If I do Hip Hop, I gotta have R&B, and vice versa. These two genres are the life blood to my music, and Hip Hop can’t exist in a world without R&B.
How would you say your ability to sing complements your rapping skills?
I started off singing as you already know, but before I moved to Washington that’s what everyone knew about me. I rapped a lil, but when I moved, I did more rapping and people didn’t know I could sing. When I started to add singing with my raps, it caught people off guard.
Which R&B artists influenced your artistry the most?
That’s a hard one, but Chris Brown’s music has influenced me a lot since I was younger. Growing up however, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Lyfe Jennings, Charlie Wilson and Anthony Hamilton contributed to that, and in recent years Bryson Tiller and Tory Lanez, helped with the diversity.
I want to be an inspiration for generations to come, and show them that I came from nothing, and made it big
Speaking of Tory Lanez, what do you think about the upcoming joint album he has with Chris Brown?
I didn’t even know about it. I haven’t been paying attention to a lot of things outside of what I’m doing, but Tory and Chris for one project sounds like it’s gonna be the dopest thing ever when it drops.
What are you most proud of when it comes to your come up?
Probably just how I’ve changed over time. I used to be a really angry kid, and it was because I was dealing with a lot of things, and I acted out as a way to cope. Growing up, I’ve learned to think before I act, became wiser when it comes to handling challenges or difficulties, and becoming more considerate of others and their feelings. I grew up a lot, and I’m thankful to make changes to my life.
Did you have to follow any specific steps to grow or was it all natural progression?
It was natural progression because I didn’t listen to anybody, not even my mother. I would try different ways to control my anger, and they didn’t work. I could credit some of it to being isolated for a while because I was locked up back home (in Nap Town) and had to deal with my consequences by myself while being behind bars. I had to really question myself to see if I really want to continue living a certain way and be stuck in a box. I had to force myself to do better.
I’m inspired by many people, and my music won’t sound like the next man
Where do you ultimately want to take your career?
The direction I want to go with my career... I’m not looking to be number 1 everywhere, but I do want to become a legend when it’s all said and done. I want to leave a legacy like Michael Jackson because he’s the King of Pop, and he solidified that he was from Gary, Indiana. I’m from Indianapolis, and I want to make sure me coming from there is solidified when it make it to legendary status, and put on for my city. I want to be an inspiration for generations to come and show them that I came from nothing, and made it big.
Anything else we should know?
I’m signed to Asylum Records, and I have a lot of music to drop including a couple mixtapes in the stash, and my album. I’m also moving to LA to get things cracking even more, so I’m looking forward to working with a lot of people. I’m letting the people know that I can only do me, I’m inspired by many people, and my music won’t sound like the next man. I have a whole lot of sounds that I’m working on and I can’t wait for you all to hear them. I’m still learning something new everyday.
