JAY MEL

Jay Mel isn’t afraid to take risks.

The Youngstown, OH rapper bends, breaks, and burns the rules every time he steps into the vocal booth or on stage. With songs like “Too Up”, “Go!...Try!”, “I’m Good Pt. 2”, “I’m On” and “Better Days” he slides infectious pop hooks over cleverly catchy verses. His refrains are radio-ready while his raps possess an undeniable grit and gusto. Instead of resorting to the same tired vernacular, he makes a conscious effort to use witty wordplay. Rather than penning more jams about partying, his son serves as his biggest musical inspiration. Now, audiences worldwide are going to have his name bumping in and out of their speakers.

Jay Mel has begun to make his statement in 2012. In late 2011, the Youngstown, OH artist signed with Joshua Fisher's Mac Media Entertainment and started off the year strong by releasing new music and new videos as he finished the year in the same manner by winning the Ohio Hip Hop Award for Best Live Performance!

Jay Mel definitely deserved the award as he had been performing all year, not only in the state of Ohio, but in Los Angeles, CA, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, PA as well. He’s shared the stage with B.o.B, MGK, and Twista in addition to other national acts. He’s also built a memorable performance style. "I like to interact and entertain. The interaction with people is what I love the most.” In February, Jay’s knack for moving the crowd won him a performance slot on the Michigan based Rockapalooza while performing at a competition near Akron. In April, while traveling to Los Angeles for meetings with chart-topping producers such as JR Rotem, The Cataracts, and The Stereotypes, Jay performed at the legendary Key Club. June was a big month for Jay as he embarked on the Ohio Hip Hop Awards Showcase Tour touching 8 major cities throughout the state of Ohio as well as performing at Rockapalooza which drew over 8,000 attendees. While on the Ohio Hip Hop Awards Showcase Tour, Jay won the top performer slot in Columbus, OH, which gained him an invite to perform at the Ohio Hip Hop Awards where he was also nominated for Best Live Performer. His performance at Rockapalooza was an overwhelming success and promoters immediately invited him to perform on the main stage at Cleveland Rockapalooza which took place in September. He's currently booked for the rest of the year locally and in surrounding cities.

With the release of his new music and videos, Jay was able to garner new fans that helped bolster his touring, media/ press exposure on some leading hip hop blogs such as thisis50.com, ArtistDirect.com, Doughnuts & Milk, IAAM, Frostclick, Skope Radio & TV, Fuse On Demand, and more. His videos have received 155,000 plus views to date and he has over 4,000 Facebook fans and over 2,500 Twitter fans. “This is just the beginning, me and my team are ready to take things to the highest level!” says Jay Mel. Jay Mel plans on releasing another round of new music and new videos at the top of the year.
Even though he began rapping at 15, Jay officially embraced his gift in 2010. A local radio station, Jamz 101.9, held a contest for “Best Local Rapper”. Jay submitted a blazing cut called “Envy” and won by a landslide! As his prize for winning, the station flew him to New York for a meeting with Island Def Jam. That meeting quickly inspired the creation of his first official mixtape Who Is Jay Mel? The mixtape caught a flurry of local attention due to fresh, fiery sound that wasn’t exactly pop or hip hop—it was simply Jay Mel.

Jay describes his style best. "I want to make chilled-out, good time music,” he says. “I try to write memorable hooks, while adding a little more grime to the verses. Pop hip-hop is the most casual way to present it. His pop hip-hop hybrid comes to life during “In and Out” from Who Is Jay Mel? The track rises with sharp, slick quips before snapping into a massive chorus. "One original song, “She Won’t Leave Me”, functions as his “song for the ladies”, and it’ll make more than a few girls fall in love. Meanwhile, “Live It Up” is something of a declaration of fun for Jay with its sunny, carefree bounce. "When I found the beat, I wrote the song in an hour,” he reveals. “It's something people can get into and feel that they're a part of. Once it starts, it keeps you going."

Jay keeps going too. Rather than relying on one producer, he connects with his expanding network of business associates and friends, who are beat makers alike, while also scouring the Internet for different beats and producers in order to create a different track every time. Also, when he’'s looking for inspiration, he doesn’t have to look any farther than his family. He goes on, “"My son is my direction in terms of what I’m doing with my life."