Jay Rush

From his soulful sound to his candid lyrics, Jay Rush is determined not to be known as just another R&B singer. His latest single, “I Ain’t Even Mad” tells of a confident brother brushing female haters off his shoulder. Throughout this song and every song he writes, Rush maintains one central theme: keep it real.



The 26 year-old artist describes his genre of music as “Street Soul.” You won’t catch any whiny, depressing love songs on his album when it drops next year. His confessional “I Cheated and I Can’t Say I’m Sorry” is sure to have some fellas in the doghouse. “I hate those sappy love songs,” he admits. “If you are really that sorry, chances are it wouldn’t have happened. There have been times in my relationships when I knew I would get accused of stuff when I came home so I figured I might as well get the most out of it that I could.”



Born Jonathon Jay Rush Jennings, the singer/songwriter developed his musical abilities while performing in a family group called the Dotsons. As a teenager growing up in Toledo, OH he found himself in a bit of trouble much like his older brother, Lyfe Jennings. Perseverance and a strong will to survive have helped them both get off the streets and back in the studio. Having learned from his mistakes, Rush uses his experiences as a tool to connect with a younger audience. “It actually helps me understand the younger generation’s music right now. I’ve lived the life rappers rap about. All you hear about is gun-popping and hoes, but when people make positive music y’all are not going out to buy it,” he claims. “I’ll throw some stuff out there that they can relate to but at the same time I try and sneak a message in there.”

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Rush has made appearances on B.E.T.’s “Wild Out Wednesday” segment, landing him the B.E.T. “artist pick of the week” spot three times. Some of his musical influences include singers Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson and the late rapper Tupac Shakur. He is featured on songs with rappers AZ and Styles P and hopes to complete his album in 2009. Despite the vocal similarities between he and his brother Lyfe Jennings, Rush is not worried about being compared to him. “My intentions are to bring real singing back to music. Nobody’s really trying to take any chances or go in a different direction. If you enjoy good music and you want a change of pace, get at me.”



So find another “down-on-my-knees, beggin’ you please” artist because Jay Rush is not the one.



- Thee Walking Party Online Party Magazine

Arts and Life PEOPLE
Jay Rush learns from brother's success
By Philana Marie Boles
Special to Toledo Free Press

Another singing sensation has emerged from the Jennings family. Johnathan “Jay Rush” Jennings, insists, however, that although he knows that comparisons are inevitable, his music offers an unapologetic street edge that is different from his platinum selling brother's Neo Soul style.

“I love my brother's music and his talent speaks for itself,” Rush said. “And so does mine.”

Recently, Rush made it through auditions for BET's “Wild-Out Wednesday” talent competition on the television show “106 & Park” and will return to New York City after the first of the year to tape his performance segment.

His brother, Chester, “Lyfe” Jennings began his singing career in a similar way when he was featured on “Showtime at the Apollo” in New York.

This past summer, as Jennings' sophomore CD “The Phoenix” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, Rush's first single, “Change,” received heavy radio rotation and Internet buzz. Rush will head to Los Angeles in November to continue his work with music producers.

Rush said he and his brother, both native Toledoans, were close growing up, so it comes as no surprise people notice similarities between them.

“Me and my brother did so much together. We grew up in the church together — at Calvary Baptist — and we used to get kicked out of church, out of Bible Class together. Man, we were just wild, just rebellious,” Rush said.

Rush, like his brother, served time in prison.

“I did two years,” Rush said.

His brother Jennings served 11.

Rush, as Jennings often does in his music, acknowledges the grandmother they spent a lot of time with in their youth.

“She instilled a lot of values and morals into us,” said Rush. “But even though I'm spiritual, even though I believe in God to the fullest, real life for me is street. I'm a street dude, so my music is gonna reflect that. I'm gonna give it to you raw and uncut.”

Rush said he is tired of the watered down R&B songs that are so saturated with sentiments about idealistic thoughts of what it means to be in love. He said that the “Jay Rush style” is a fresh, edgy, street style of singing.

“My music is strictly R&G,” Rush said.

The “G” he said, stands for “gangster.”

“I'm bringing songs about dealing with real love because to me the reality of life is that sometimes real love deals with hate. I'm raw so I'm not gonna sugarcoat anything,” Rush said.

Rush, who recently opened up for J-Shin, Letoya Luckett from Destiny's Child fame and the group Jagged Edge, has also toured with John Legend, Angie Stone, Music Soulchild, Anthony Hamilton, Common and Jennings. He said watching his brother's experiences have allowed him to learn a lot of lessons early on.

“I was able to observe so much in terms of what to do and what not to do in the industry. I know what I have to offer, but I also know what to expect,” he said.

On Nov. 3, Jay Rush will be a featured performer at the birthday party for Tisha Lee, morning deejay for Toledo's 107.3 FM, at the LA Café in Adrian, Mich.



- Toledo Free Press

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SOURCE: KOCH Records

Jan 30, 2008 11:40 ET
KOCH Records to Release New Album by Legendary Lyricist AZ
Highly Anticipated New Album "Undeniable" in Stores April 1st, 2008; New Album Features Ray J, Styles P and Jay Rush


KOCH RECORDS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM BY LEGENDARY LYRICIST AZ NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - January 30, 2008) - KOCH Records is excited to announce the release of "Undeniable," the brand new album by celebrated lyricist AZ. "Undeniable" will be released on April 1st, 2008. The new album features Ray J, Styles P and Jay Rush, with production by Fame, Large Professor, Nottz, Street Radio and more.

The first single is the title track, "Undeniable," which is hitting urban radio now.

AZ's intelligent rhymes and impressive flow have long set him apart from the bevy of other New York emcees to emerge in the mid nineties. His lyrical power to paint vivid pictures of the gangsta lifestyle has long been celebrated by fans and critics alike.

The 10-year veteran first came to the greater rap community's attention after his stellar performance on Nas' track "Life's A Bitch" in 1994. His debut album, 1995's "Doe or Die," showcased the talented emcee's literate and thoughtful approach to gangsta rap and shook the New York hip-hop scene to the core.

He has released a string of classic bangers like 1998's "Pieces Of A Man," 2001's "9 Lives," 2002's "Aziatic" and 2005's "A.W.O.L." that have sold an impressive 700,000+ units combined. His skill has put him on the level above most, alongside his peers Nas and Jay-Z.

"Undeniable" showcases AZ at his best. His descriptive and impressive lyrical flow is at the forefront of this new album.

About KOCH Entertainment

KOCH Entertainment, founded in 1987 and now in its twentieth year, is the leading and fastest-growing independent music company in the U.S. KOCH's operations encompass record and video labels as well as distribution companies in the U.S. and Canada. KOCH Entertainment is the market leader among independent labels and distributors in both the U.S. and Canada and its record label KOCH Records had the largest number of Billboard charting albums among independents for seven years in a row (2001 - 2007). KOCH Entertainment is a subsidiary of Entertainment One Ltd. which is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market (ticker symbol "ETO").

For more information, contact:

Julie Evans
Karamel Enterprises
646-288-6991

Giovanna Melchiorre
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