Jay Blaze

Rapper. Producer. Entrepreneur. Los Angeles native Jay Blaze has worn many hats, each of which only seems to fuel his growing mass appeal. A rapper/songwriter turned self-proclaimed “Universal Man”, a modern day take on the Renaissance Man, Blaze cites “Think Big: They’re Local, We’re Global” as the driving force behind his brand.

Jay Blaze, born Jazon Keith Jackson, started out with a slightly more modest upbringing. The son of a single working mother, Blaze and his younger sister were shuttled about much as children, frequently moving around Los Angeles. Blaze displayed early talent as a songwriter; he began rapping in middle school, often impressing his peers with lunchtime freestyle battles. Even in these days Blaze was a walking anomaly. Though spending the majority of his high school years in the inner city school system, he went on to graduate from the affluent Beverly Hills High.

Upon graduation, Blaze took a job at AT&T, eventually securing a position as one of the top retail sales consultants in the nation. While often solicited to work for other companies – including those in the music industry – Blaze politely declined, having resolved to never work for anyone else from there on out.

This mentality paid off. While working at AT&T, Blaze formed a camaraderie with frequent customer Rick St. Hilaire, a well-known music producer who boasts a list of artists the likes of Busta Rhymes, Whitney Houston and Missy Elliott. This casual friendship took a turn when Blaze went out of his way to assist Rick with an AT&T related issue, going against company procedures in the process. In exchange for the extra help, Rick agreed to a meeting to discuss Blaze’s music.

Though unimpressed initially, Rick saw potential in Blaze and passed a number of opportunities his way to help him further his craft. After months of Internet promotion, consulting and even a school tour, Jay Blaze received the chance to work in the recording studio with Rick. This time, St. Hilaire liked what he saw.

From friendship to working relationship and, with the formation of Global Sound Music Group, LLC, business partnership, Rick St. Hilaire has taken Jay Blaze under his wing, sharing his 15+ years of music industry know-how with him. Their business bond resulted in the creation of a full album, “Tunnel Vision,” appropriately named for the sight of light at the end of a dark tunnel. The first song recorded for the album was “Universal Man,” a midtempo dance song featuring Ray J. The first single off the album is slated to release in March 2010.

Now, with more than 8 years of experience under his belt, Jay Blaze continues to grow as a person and artist. He plans to use his likeness to further extend into areas including, but not limited to: his blogsite and personal website (jayblaze.com), fashion line (Jazon Keith), modeling, acting and producing. Like his moniker, Jay continues to blaze into arenas of mass media and entertainment.