BRIEF BIO/PART 1 (Introduction)
Jay Steele, a disabled, chronically ill (in more ways than one) hip hop lyricist, is back with his latest album Fun & Positive. He’s Steele standing out from the crowd as a one man band of sorts who raps and sings in three different voices while providing lyricist lovers with profoundly positive and meaningful content.
On Fun & Positive, Jay produced more than half of the tracks himself while again throwing rap back to the golden days of greats like Rakim, Tribe, and Kane. This project packs a versatile array of rhythms and vibes, lines in Spanish, and high minded rhymes imbibed with creative concepts not typically associated with hip hop or popular music. At the end of the day, originality is in full effect, and one can truly say that serious skill is on display throughout Jay’s latest presentation in a Fun & Positive way.
Yet, Steele does not feel he should claim too much credit for his talent. "I didn't create my ability," he says. "I feel like I was given this by the universe... by something outside of myself... and I feel like I have a calling and sacred duty to carry out to maximum capacity what's within me so that others can enjoy it."
Preeminently, he hypothesizes that his music is likely part of a cluster of characteristics he carries within him designed to make his wife happy (along with not being averse to doing the laundry). He attests, "My wife is such a positive person. Like my effusive grandmother, she spreads joy and love everywhere she goes. If I can help her to be happy and thrive, I feel like it can emanate ripples of fun and positivity throughout the world, and I think that’s my purpose."
PRODUCTION NOTES/PART 2 (Additional Info)
The song entitled Positive & Fun launched this project off the ground as his first track crafted in years. Steele Real was actually ignited by an instrumental offered to him by producer and long time collaborator Silent NRG over 20 years before he devised this rhyme for it. Facing Uncertainty, Can't Escape Change, and A Fun Ending were the final cuts conceived (in that order). 2 of these were written while processing a proposed move from his home of over 20 years due to it being over 100 years old and necessitating either extensive renovation and/or a departure.
Most lines on Fun & Positive, as has been the case with his two previous records, were initially inscribed in the pocket sized composition book (notebook) that lies next to his bed with a pen inside. "There's no distractions when I'm lying down with my eyes closed and I'm not moving," he expounds. "That's when most of my lyrics and ideas come to me."
This Jay be Jay's 9th full length studio album, but it marks several firsts for him as an artist. Previously, he composed 8 LPs as a "duo" (with his regular voice and another distinctly raspier version of it that he deemed "Natural Disaster" early in his recording days). However, this edition is the first he concocted as a "trio" (with “R3” as the third of 3 different voices).
Contextualizing this metamorphosis, he details, “The different voices just kind of come to me. My voice is my main instrument, and I’m just trying to play it in what I feel is the most dynamic and best sounding way possible for each beat.”
“It’s a pun,” Steele divulges. “If me [Jay] and Natural together is 2, well, our 3 is R3. See what I did there?” R3 is actually an acronym for “Rugged, Raspy, Rhymer.” This triumvirate is commemorated on Tha 3 Storms, which is purposely perched in the track order at number 3.
On that note, Fun & Positive is his first compilation of cuts to incorporate purposeful positioning of subjects aligned with numbers. This is evident by the first one being called Love Above All (which Jay believes may be his best song). He continues this calculated numerical concept by placing Forever Celebrated at number 8.
Additionally, he felt compelled to become much more of a singer on this iteration, and he can be found singing on sections of 10 of the 16 selections. In past releases, he only sang on one or two (if at all). On this effort, Steele also unveiled Go with the Universe, which stands as his first hybrid EDM/rap (dance/rap) fusion (although Silent NRG did brew up 2 of his own EDM/rap hybrids for Jay in the past).
The cover depicts the second consecutive showcase of he and his wife's collaborative hand drawn and painted artwork (Jay rendered the drawing before his wife painted it). Likewise, the A Refreshing Contribution EP cover was conceptualized by this husband and wife team. Both framed original canvases adorn their home in the spring and summer. They don't want to get tired of looking at the same decorations, so they shift their art exhibits by season. The inside page of the artwork case displays 2 sentences, "My race is human. My religion is love," which encapsulate much of his philosophy.
As was the case with the aforementioned EP, Jay chose not to press a CD (due to the trend of the majority of listeners utilizing digital over physical sources), but he still decided to portray the entirety of what the packaging would look like on his website (www.FunandPositive.blogspot.com).
His wife, his biggest fan, is a seasoned (brilliant/masterful) dancer and
choreographer. With inextricable versatility, this creative couple certainly
stands as an artistic family, and Jay hails from a musical background as well.
On his For Tha Love album, Jay paid tribute lyrically to the
legacy of his Philadelphia All-City violin playing mother and his veteran
harmonica playing grandfather on the tune Musical Family. He
further carries on this tradition by playing the berimbau, rumba shakers,
drums, and other percussive instruments in his work.
EXTENDED BIO/PART 3 (Background/Tribulations & Triumphs)
Jay Steele’s life has been quite a remarkable roller coaster that he has managed to pack within his raps. Born in Philadelphia, he was raised in nearby Echelon, NJ, where he was picked on mercilessly for being overweight, dim witted, buck toothed, pigeon toed, and poor. His mother divorced his father as a result of domestic violence that left her shattered and on food stamps. In the long run, she went on to blossom into an award earning professional in her field.
At the age of 13, a judge banned his father from ever seeing him or his brother again. Alas, his parental torrential reign of terror had precipitated Jay’s floundering in first grade and getting placed in special education classes with less than 8 students. One bright spot surfaced with his winning of 1st place trophies in a school wide art contest in both 2nd and 3rd grade (poster drawing for fire prevention).
In 3rd grade, a kind and patient special ed. teacher named Mr. Mulderick passed on his love of writing to Jay and fostered his path back into regular classes permanently. Mr. Mulderick sought him out decades later and told him that the school administration had labeled Jay as "retarded," and that he stood as his favorite student and most significant success story.
He endured his rough, trauma riddled childhood by turning to bodybuilding and transforming into a triumphant tournament trophy taking competitive power lifter. Steele also traversed trying times by finding he could flourish as a formidable basketball player on the streets of Echelon. Additional aid came by way of EMDR therapy for those with PTSD. In the end, this once ridiculed rider of the short bus graduated college with honors, as his mom, who was able to pay for his education, shed tears of joy upon seeing Jay walk up to accept his degree.
His mother had stopped playing her violin while with
Jay's father. Over 30 years later, he surprised her for Mother's Day by
presenting her with a violin. She inquired, "Who is that for?" He replied,
"It's for you." He then encouraged her to resume playing, and she soon
pronounced it was "what her soul needed" and the greatest gift she'd
ever received. She proceeded to play every day, and she used it to compose the
beat for their mother and and son collaboration, Musical Family.
A myriad of rappers inspired and influenced him in his formative years including especially Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang (and affiliates), and Onyx. Concurrently, he was enamored with more diverse verse rehearsers such as Pete Rock & CL Smooth, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Jeru the Damaja, and The Fresh Prince. Of course, his forte was forged furthermore by those he grew up around. He was befriended during harrowing times by Chaun a.k.a Mistah Clip, a popular, diminutive kid in middle school, who would develop into a revered rhymer. He then later led Steele to being befriended by every of the many talented rappers in his high school. Jay was awestruck with their skill, but he recounts, "I never thought I'd be able to do it in my wildest dreams."
Admitting to being “young and dumb,” his path to run with the wrong crowd had begun, which led to arrests for disorderly conduct and theft and two separate incidents with guns aimed at his head. Feeling fortunate to survive, he soon left behind this walk on the wild side and focused more on his home gym time.
Previously, his brother had somehow managed to scale the exterior of an abandoned health club and gain entry thru an unlocked window on the roof. In sum he tells, the brothers brought home a ton of dumbbells (literally). Back in the days in this crazy scene, Jay became a personal trainer at the age of 16.
Overall, his final 2 years of high school were filled with fun, but he departed for Seattle University after graduation to attempt to escape seared memories of his childhood. Jay trained with champion pro bodybuilder Debbie Houck and maintained a 3.9 GPA in his nearly 2 years there, but stricken with bouts of homesickness, he transferred to Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ and returned to his home in Echelon.
As a communications major and writer for The Whit, the Rowan school newspaper, Jay was assigned an interview with the school's star basketball player. The headline was that this 6'6 D3 future Hall of Famer, Rob Scott aka Tha Tall Guy Rugged Ambassador, was just as serious on the mic. Steele’s becoming close with him served as the final fueling of the fire of an uncontainable desire to become a rhymer. "At the time, I figured if he could do it, maybe I could too," Jay recalls. Scott would furnish Jay's trips to his first professional studios.
At the outset of his musical odyssey, he amassed material under the moniker "Tha Mad Dog." He explains that he was given this nickname by a friend in high school named Ozer who was astonished by his ferocious rebounding on the basketball court. The label also encompassed the anger and vengeance elicited within him from being a victim of violence and torment between the ages of 2 and 15. His reading of The Call of the Wild by Jack London factored into the adopting of the alias as well.
While at Rowan, Jay interned at TVT records in New York City to fulfill a college requirement with the ulterior purpose of landing a record deal. His plan was to somehow secure a meeting with (and rap for) one of his idols, the legendary Mic Geronimo aka "The Natural," who was signed to TVT. Steele got his chance one summer day after chillin' with Mic G and another of his heroes, Royal Flush. Jay had the opportunity to kick a verse on the rooftop of the TVT building as Mic G stood at full attention. As fate would have it, his bid to get signed did not materialize.
In essence, Steele was a neophyte who was not polished or near the peak of his potential at this point. "I guess it wasn't meant to be," Jay speculates. "I'm content with still seeing people enjoy my material while not having to deal with the hate, judgment, and downside of life in the spotlight." Afterward, Mic G did provide Jay with a wide smile and ample encouragement to persist in his pursuit of excellence. Despite the fact that the youngster never punched the lottery ticket of fame and fortune, he did manage to ultimately find long time success and happiness with his independent record label, Creativity Recordings.
During Tha Mad Dog's time, Steele's friendship with another rhymin' and flowin’ Rowan alumni, The Old Skool Survivor a.k.a Eugene Brown, made a profound impact on his sound. Like a multitude of his prior influences, Tha Mad Dog's lyrics were not very intellectual or insightful. Conversely, Brown was proud to announce that his poetry could be entertaining for all audiences due to its clean and conscious content. Steele admired Brown's music and attitude and appreciated being taken under his wing. As a result of that, Brown taught Jay the fundamentals of rap, hip hop history, and how to count bars. From this tutelage, Steele’s aptitude elevated rapidly.
With the supplying of Brown's mentoring, combined with Jay's long time identifying with those marginalized, he started to strive to formulate more thought provoking rhymes. This shift ensued in Tha Mad Dog pseudonym getting discarded and supplanted with his actual given name. The best of the songs he assembled as Tha Mad Dog and the best of his early era recording as Jay Steele were distributed many years later as part of a collection called Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy. This trilogy features the albums Relentless: Tha Beginning (EP) and Tha Call of Tha Wild by Tha Mad Dog and Solid Steele by Jay Steele. He clarifies that the Solid Steele title was intended to represent his burgeoning mental maturation.
Completing sociology courses at Rowan (and at Rutgers University Graduate School in Camden) and meeting his wife, “Big Cee,” who shared his ideals about peace and the abolition of poverty, further fueled the flames of Jay's evolution. Inevitably, adversity again arrived as he accumulated limiting knee and other unexplained pain that left him at a crossroads.
Forced to relinquish the iron and the ball (that had sustained him through stress and bedlam), he directed his energies toward getting more serious as a soloist. Feeling the wind at his back, Jay embraced the stage name of Tha Truth and began rapping about the voiceless, social justice, and what is wrong with the world.
Kindled by the validation of the accomplished
Jamie Myerson, who came to be his engineer and guide, Tha Truth unleashed 5 political rap albums
including Music for a Better World, Tha MisEducation of Tha Masses, Tha
People's Music, Tha Civil Rights Movement, and Tha
Civil Rights Movement Part 2. These records have affected people around the
globe with their powerful and pointed anthems advocating for equality and human
rights.
Crowds roared for Tha Truth as he
became a sought after performer and full time tunesmith for 9 years. In spite
of this, his life would take yet another tough, tumultuous turn into turmoil,
as Jay was diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition that rendered him
disabled. Failing in countless attempts to cure an incurable chronic illness, and
struggling to learn to live with it, he believed for despondent and dejected
years that he would not be able to continue as an artist.
With time intertwined with the employment of trial and error, pain management strategies, and a behavior modification program emphasizing humility, love, and selflessness, he began to adapt. In the midst of this progression, Steele was asked to lead South Jersey's severe fibromyalgia support group, South Jersey Connections, which he has done for over a decade.
No longer performing signified a mixed bag. While he harbors treasured memories of crowds surrounding him with applause, autograph requests, and praise attained; live performances were never his primary driving force.
Put simply, he never relished hearing his compositions repeatedly and elects to experience them only occasionally in order to not diminish their freshness. On the other hand, Jay and his wife were beyond delighted to discover that he could return to recording, provided he paced himself properly.
Reinvigorated and recapturing his passion, he changed his rap name back to his actual name and decided to write about what is right with the world. Steele then attempted to ascend to the zenith of his zone as he wrote up a freshly formed storm. Riding the newfound momentum of his comeback, he proceeded to release its score and soundtrack by conceiving the collections For Tha Love, A Refreshing Contribution, and Fun & Positive in succession. He conveys that his most current work is designed to be helpful, uplifting, and enjoyable for all audiences.
Going way back, Jay's first written rap was scribed at the age of 10. It consisted of one verse chronicling his fandom of his hometown Philadelphia Phillies containing the phrasing, "No more beginners; we're big game winners.” His initial lines also asserted, "We hit home runs just for fun. We're the best around and we're hot on the mound. So if you're looking for some fun, remember we're the Phillies number one."
"It's still in my home somewhere," he reveals. "I'm currently looking for it. I found it several years ago in its original notebook and noticed it had the date and exact time written above it. It's funny; it's almost as if the 10 year old me was saying that this was a special moment to capture."
His effort was ephemeral at this point, because he ceased until he was 16. At this age, he would amass several verses in a notebook, but he never recorded anything until 5 years subsequently.
It's been an extensive, epic adventure of evolving and making music for Jay Steele, a.k.a Tha Mad Dog, a.k.a Tha Truth, a.k.a Natural Disaster, a.k.a R3, a.k.a Jay Tha Magician (etc.). He reflects, "It's been a wild ride that's been made sweeter after difficulty. I never thought I'd be able to make music. All I ever wanted growing up was to not be made fun of. I feel so fortunate to have been given the musical spark that's within and to be recognized for it by people around the world and those closest to me."
As a result of all it took, he's garnered that gratitude and a Fun & Positive outlook. Unfazed by ways of chasing fame and mass appeal, Jay remains... Steele Real.
* if contemplating if Jay wrote this, it's explained in this postscript. I realized I'm the finest qualified scribe alive to summarize my lifetime. However, I kept it in third person style to present a professional profile 
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