Tee-Jay

It's also rare to find a rap act that's doesn't wallow in the same old themes of violence, misogyny and drugs.

Pittsburgh-born rapper Tee-Jay has the hip-hop lingo down pat, he's got the seemingly requisite criminal background.

But the difference between him and household names -- such as Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Eminem -- is that he wants to use his music to change lives.



- Monica Haynes

Comfortably flows and spits over hard-hitting sounds that will move the crowd, provides redemptive messages on how to turn one’s life around and give God the praise all along - Brentin Mock

The specific sounds of Atlanta, Memphis, Houston and the Bay Area have each managed to draw national attention to their city in the search for the next big thing.

Could Pittsburgh be next?

It's hard to nail down a specific Pittsburgh sound. Tee-Jay one of the local guys who might do it best.

How Pittsburgh is it? Lines like "My flow's tight like eight sumos in two jitneys" from the song "P.G.H. (Da Burgh)" are insanely catchy.
- Michael Machosky

Using edgy lyrics and beats that sound a lot like what's on the radio right today My Testimony is like a gangster rap record with a positive twist - Omar-Abdul R. Lawrence

San Diego hip-hop artist TeeJay just released a new record,
“My Testimony.”

He answered our weekly questions:

Q: Why do you play music?

A: “For the response and respect. I see the effect music has on people, and hip-hop is the one form of music that bridges generations, races, cultures, creeds, even social status all under the same umbrella.
And that’s a beautiful thing.”

Q: What is your favorite album of all time? And could we tell by listening to your music?

A: “Jay-Z, ‘The Blueprint.’ It’s rare nowadays to find a hip-hop album that you can let play from beginning
to end. ‘The Blueprint’ and ‘My Testimony’ are both classical hip-hop albums — minimal on the song
features by other artists and laced with catchy lyrics and sonic production.”

Q: Describe your most memorable/scariest/funniest experience on stage.

A: “While on the stage at the Canvas Cafe in San Marcos, ha ha, the CD player wire came unplugged.
Thank goodness for stage presence. I kept doing my lyrics to the song and simultaneously plugged the CD player back in. When the sound came back on, I
was still on beat. The crowd
went bananas!”

Q: If you weren’t a musician, you would …

A: “I would be a youth outreach worker. My heart is for the youngstas and to help them make their dreams and goals come true.” - Nina Garin

Positive hip-hop, as opposed to violent gangsta rap, you won’t notice he’s not cursing, it's so catchy, Tee-Jay proves that hip-hop can be popular without glorifying violence - Jim Trageser

The Great Demo Review: Session of 2006

One of best unsigned artists in San Diego, Tee-Jay raps with a distinctively smooth delivery, This is rap that doesn't leave you feeling dirty - Caley Cook

He’s put work in to present and create a positive album that retains a feel and connection with the streets with range and consistency throughout the album, a positive rap album that reaches young heads on the block, as well as the O.G.’s - Kevin Farr

PGH (Da Burgh) is the most badassest song about Picks-berrrrrrgh ever. EVERY neighborhood in Pittsburgh mentioned in the same breath with such respect and UNITY? - Natalie

HHK: You can write Hip-Hop raps, poetry and you can also do production. Who or what influenced you to all of these fields?

Tee Jay: Just the love of music, and the response from the crowd I see how powerful music is, you can feel down and out and listen to a song and it change your demeanor, its not about money, money is not an issue, its about the response and the respect.

HHK: I understand you are from Pittsburgh, but you are now based in San Diego, whats the Hip-Hop scene like in those areas right now?

Tee Jay: I have two fanbases now cuddy, and I learned a lot being in Da Burgh and then Daygo, on the East Coast (Pittsburgh) they focus on lyrics, metaphors, and punch-lines but on the West Coast (San Diego) its about production, style and being unique so I merged both, the lyrics and production, also found out I had something special outside of my city, when others recognized my talent.

HHK: Hip-Hop is full of profanity, but you have strayed from this culture. Why have you chosen to do this? To prove a point?

Tee Jay: I do it to challenge myself to take a different direction with each song, flat out, when you curse all the time it just shows ignorance cuddy, I can make a song grimy as ghetto hallway piss, and still not curse, most of these dudes dont have the intellect, so all they can say is nigga and trigga, club and dubs, to each his own, do ya thing, but as for me, I'm gonna be different, also I gotta son, and he watching my moves, but still keep it street, cuddy the radio play is where its at, and all of my joints are radio friendly. Im a father before Im a rapper, my son comes first.

HHK: From reading about you, I can tell you are very conscious about what is going on, and you know exactly what you want to do. What do you plan to give Hip-Hop, or how do you want to be remembered in Hip-Hop history?

Tee Jay: My lil bro got life in prison for something he aint do and I want to get him out, thats real talk cuddy, I'm using music as a platform to speak, I plan to give Hip-Hop an option, these rappers glorify the hood, selling drugs, and the good from it, like nice whips and fast money. Yeah its the truth and its what goes on but they dont tell the other side, like spending 20 years of your life in jail, the REAL thugs behind them walls love what Im doing, because you only get one life, so make the most of it. I want to be remembered as a dude who built an empire, flat out.

- Stuart Hallick