Jay P
Kampala, Central Region, Uganda | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | SELF
Music
Press
By Steven OdekeSometimes this task of reviewing a rapper casts you in a position you don’t really fancy. Having listened to lots of rappers overtime, comparing them against each other is quite inevitable.
While it’s true some rappers have spoilt the art, killing the rhyming and poetry aspect of it, some have really attempted to match those who lived in the game before.
When I got this lad, Paul Omiria, a.k.a Jay P’s music and listened to his song Credibly Evident, a thought to listen to Tupac’s posthumous song Thugz Mansion with Eric Clapton popped up.
It was the urge to feel the fit-in on a popular beat. While Tupac had Eric Clapton’s Tears From Heaven chorus fly perfectly alongside his rap, Jay P soared high on one of Teddy Pendergrass’ beat, whoever gave him the idea to do it knows his stuff.
Or if he decided it upon himself to toy with the legendary crooner’s song, his understanding of past music will help him plough the music ground.
The thing is, this lad can rap. He is a fine free-flowing rapper. Why he hasn’t broken in the rapping sphere in Uganda so far is not because he has terrible music, his music is actually good when you listen in the first or last time.
He is yet to break through because the local media is yet to pick out his music.
Born in a family of eight children, Jay P says his mother Josephine Epeju was so strict with her children and wanted them to focus on their education first.
“My mum was a very strict woman she instilled the reading and learning culture in me. That’s how we grew up speaking fluent English. She raised us with strict emphasis on discipline and that upbringing has worked wonders for me today. I learnt the meaning of being focused, a very important element in any human being,” assures Jay P.
By the age of six, the young Jay P sniffed music and decided to taste its waters. Immediately, he decided to get a name he would use for his music. A stage name.
He decided on Jay P, a short one for John Paul, the name his peers used to call him and made him cringe.
He has a thing for genres like jazz, rock, hip-hop and R&B. Perhaps that bears evidence for his rapping.
The raps in the song President have that cryptic pop poetry that draws vacillating emotion.
Compares himself to past and current State presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Idi Amin, Milton Obote and his “Afro”, the young Museveni.
It’s a thorough song. There’s Can I kick It, 4 By 4, Political Bureau and many other wonderfully produced and delivered tracks.
He released his “The Unreleased Cut” album in 2011 and placing them online for his fans to access.
This is the boy who was expelled from school when seventeen for absenteeism and decided to pursue his music.
Life after school hauled him into crime dungeon where he sold drugs and was involved in several notorieties. However, in 2005, he snapped out of that terrible lifestyle and started pursuing his music.
When you listen to his song “Credibly Evident” you will realize some lyrics were partly inspired by the thuggish lifestyle he encountered once.
He says in his lyrics “I came from the street/ Iam trying to escape my past/put selling dope behind/trying to pick up my pieces/live a life with the law/ I am trying to see sense in that.” - New Vision
Discography
Credibly EvidentOrbis Unum In My LifetimeHustle Avenue
Modus OperandiTop Gun
Photos
Bio
Born Paul Omiria Epeju on the 3rd of January 1987 in Kampala, Uganda.
The 7th of eight born to Josephine and William Epeju.By the age of 3,
his momma was strict and instilled a learning culture, the reason as to
why he grew up speaking fluent English. His momma raised him properly
with strict emphasis on discipline. By the age of six, his love for
music had manifested itself. Some of his peers called him John or John
Paul which often made him uncomfortable so he settled for the name Jay-P
as he liked to keep cool indeed.He used to sing for fun silently
realizing his God given gift.
By the age of nine his love for
hip-hop had matured. He loves a lot of music ranging from jazz to rock,
hip-hop, RnB and more in the line of world class music having been
inspired and empowered by musicians he considers as truly great without
mentioning names. He used to rap at extravaganzas in church in his early
teenage forming a team with his peers.
He went on to perform at
bars, night clubs and shows in school. At the age of seventeen, he was
expelled from school for absenteeism and ultimately dropped out with the
future of his musical career aggravating him. Not long after he started
selling drugs and increased in notoriety as he engaged in crime.
By
2005 he had started taking his music career seriously and seemed
excessively ambitious to many who concluded his musical dream to be a
fool's errand which he ignored and continued to pursue with even more
determination. He started working on a life time blue print which he
named the Recipe and was to include his very own record label and chain
of businesses.
He completed University studying humanities and
joined International Red Cross as a volunteer to serve humanity. Seeing
he could not give up his music, he integrated humanities into his
company activities. He continued trying to get signed as usual while
building his company so that he would have something to fall back to in
the event of not getting signed.
His pre-debut ''The Unreleased
Cut'' was released in 2011 as a redoubt followed by his debut titled
''Credibly Evident'' in 2013. Releasing a hot album annually is his
ultimate plan for his musical career. He credits his momma for imparting
business skills into him encouraged by his dad. He also grew up playing
basketball and dreamed of joining the NBA however he chose music over
it but remains intensely interested in the sport. All in all, he has
become a target facing negative criticisms and opinions which the faint
hearted cannot stomach.
Band Members
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