All the way from Santa Ana, California proudly representing his Chamorro heritage through his art, we have Jay Taj, a true creative whether it be through film, music, or any endeavour he touches.
Jay Taj is a testament of trusting God’s time! He exemplifies someone who endures and perseveres whatever life throws at him. Jay Taj didn’t have it easy. Growing up, he was primarily raised by his grandparents as circumstances of life carried his biological parents down another road.
If you haven’t heard of Jay Taj, let me be one of the first to introduce you to an authentic, honest artist emerging from the streets of Santa Ana, California.
“The message I hope to convey is honesty! Specifically in rap you have so much to say in 16 bars. In every rap, I want to say some version of my truth and the truth as I see it. Even the tropes that are deemed as negative, I hope to package it in a positive light. Honesty is at the ethos of messaging at all times.”
In his music, you can hear the authenticity in his storytelling and through the messages he conveys. Through intricate and intentional lyricalism, word play, and rhyme schemes, Jay Taj has a sound that is strictly curated and conveyed for and by him. From taking inspiration from the West Coast sound and learning from “the greats” that have gone before him, he is a sponge to all sounds of music. He is a maker of strategic and coherent flows, curating music only he has the ability to create and put out in the world.
What we loved about Jay Taj and in his interview is the raw truth in his answers and the humility he showcases through his work. He is not shy to be real, raw, and relevant in his art. Jay Taj is a refreshing sound and a breath of fresh air for Hip-Hop in this generation.
“We all have a light and dark side and I am not afraid to discuss those things. Just like how I am not afraid to rap about love and the beautiful things of life whereas hip hop often encourages us to remain toxic.”
However, although music has been his life, it wasn’t always an easy road. After a decade of putting his music on hold, Jay Taj found himself in the epicenter of divine timing. He spent the last decade going back and forth not sure if he was ever going to get his “big break.” In 2019, when he first saw the Netflix show Rhythm and Flow, he immediately knew that was his way in.
Rhythm & Flow
is a Netflix TV series where rappers compete against one another in battles, creating new tracks and delivering performances to impress celebrity judges in the industry for a chance to win $250,000. After the drop of the first season, Jay Taj had a connection to audition and send in his video for the next season. Just like the rest of the world, COVID hit and put a pause in everyone’s life and momentum.
One thing we can take away from Jay Taj’s journey is every delay does not mean denial! “They said they will call me in two weeks. Two weeks turned into 3 years.” Pushing forward, being in the right places, knowing the right people, and in the right time, Jay Taj’s door of opportunity came knocking in again for Rhythm and Flow season two. Living down the street from a casting producer, Jay Taj received a call where his full circle moment would come into fruition. “God did that. Right places, right time, leading over and over again to the moment that led to the moment this person felt comfortable enough to call my phone and tell me that. And I felt ready to create the art that I needed to create to convince these people I can be an asset (to their show).”
Fast forward, Jay Taj found himself in Atlanta amongst some of the best aspiring artists, going head to head with them in front of judges Ludacris, Latto, and DJ Khaled. Jay Taj’s journey on Rhythm and Flow was intense and competitive, but just like diamonds are made under pressure, Jay Taj rose to every occasion and had full confidence in his preparation that brought him to this opportunity.
“Being on Rhythm and Flow felt like home. I was nervous but it wasn’t anything different than performing at the House of Blues with a couple hundred people.” Even though he has never been in front of the judges, the cameras or lights didn’t feel unfamiliar to him. He felt at home once he got on stage with the mic in hand, flowing and spitting bar after bar in perfect cadence.
“It was a dream come true. In terms of experience, as soon as I got to Atlanta, it was like a switch, where the pen moved and kept flowing.” In nearly a decade he hadn’t put new music out, and it was hard to create. What was once dormant for the past ten years doing side gigs and being submerged in film and production, bar after bar was filling his brain in his hotel room. “Sometimes you step away but it’s like when you come back you fall right back in it and it’s like you never left.” Once he touched down in Atlanta the fire sparked inside of him and his passion for music erupted.
Rhythm and Flow was the experience and test he needed to be prepared for the inevitable! His favorite experience being on the show was the battle rap episode against Rhome. Although terrifying going against a rapper who had come from a battle rap background, Jay Taj knew it was going to be a cutthroat moment, and although it was an uncomfortable, unknown space, Jay Taj understood the assignment. One of them has to go and he’s not on the show to take the easy path, but the path that is hard, narrow, and the path that is least walked on.
With that in mind, Jay Taj’s Pacific Islander heritage and ancestry has helped shape and prepare him for these unknown and unfamiliar moments.
“Our people historically are voyagers. We go to unknown places. Over the last few thousand years, our people have gone places they have never been before. That’s the story of my art. I go places I have never been before. Whether it is music or film, anything I touch I am comfortable with going places I have never gone before and I will make it work.”
If you watch Rhythm and Flow on Netflix, Jay Taj experienced a whole new world of opportunity and situations and it just prepared him to go farther in the spaces he has not yet seen. In doing so, just like our ancestors, Jay Taj continues to pave ways through society, especially in the Hip Hop scene representing all of Pasifika on a mainstream level.
“I try to integrate things people have never heard before. I think I might be the first rapper ever on Netflix to say “usos” or “tokos” or “chelus” or “primos” and I do this by design…”
Seeing the clip circling social media regarding Jay Taj on the show, I remembered feeling so proud, heard and represented. Seeing a fellow Pacific Islander representing a small but mighty population of people in his music on a show being watched by millions of people around the world, is truly inspiring for us all!
“Representing all PI’s is a heavy responsibility. It is lonely. Since Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E, in Hip-Hop, we (Pacific Islanders) haven’t been around…I have a responsibility to represent us with dignity and poise and make sure that if I call myself a representative for all the people across the moana diaspora, I must carry that with respect.”
Although the season is still airing on Netflix, and episodes are still awaiting to drop on December 4th, Jay Taj’s journey on Rhythm and Flow is a reflection of what our ancestors have done and gone through to voyage across the ocean to seek new lands and horizons.
Jay Taj’s advice for everyone out there is to
“Remember who we are. We have found ourselves in every corner of the planet because we’re not afraid to go places we’ve never gone before. Thousands of years ago our people went with very little resources and very scary unknown places. Walk by faith and not by sight. Our people have been doing that since the beginning of time. Don’t be afraid to continue that especially if you walk in a room, and when you look around no one looks like you.”
– Jay Taj
With passion and honesty Jay Taj continues to encourage us to
“Continue to go in those rooms. Continue to push forward into the space that doesn’t feel like you’re not supposed to be there – because we are.”
Jay Taj finishes the deepest nugget of wisdom saying
“Do not be afraid to be a voyager, and continue to do that one thing that makes our people so very unique since the beginning of time. That’s how we built an entire empire throughout the world, from tiny little rocks in the ocean.”
To hear and keep up with Jay Taj and his artistic, creative endeavours, stream his newest project called “Little Jerry Demos.” We can expect Jay Taj to continue kicking down doors and peel back layers, so watch “Rhythm and Flow” season two out on Netflix and follow @jaytaj to be one of the first to know about upcoming projects coming in 2025.
