In a room filled with love, legacy, and the echoes of a city’s heartbeat, the City of Santa Ana honored one of its own, Jay Taj, with a Certificate of Recognition, celebrating his outstanding contributions not only as a hip-hop artist and masterful storyteller but as a son of the city who never stopped showing up for his roots.
The moment felt bigger than an award. It felt like home coming full circle.
Jay Taj, a proud representative of Santa Ana, stood tall not just as a musician, but as a mirror for a city often overlooked, reflecting back pride, soul, and a steadfast commitment to community. Through every lyric, every stage, and every step, he has carried Santa Ana with him, and the city made it clear that it carries him right back.
Councilmember Thai Viet Phan, who presented the certificate, captured the sentiment in a heartwarming tribute:
“As a proud Chamorro artist, Jay also represents the beauty of multicultural identity, never shining away from his heritage or his roots… I am so honored to recognize Jay Taj, not just for his achievement on stage, but for how he continues to represent Santa Ana with pride, honesty, and soul.”
For Jay, this recognition wasn’t about fame or accolades. It was about home.
“My neighborhood knew my name and celebrated my name and uplifted my name long before the world knew my name,” he shared. “The city and the people of this city have celebrated and supported me since the Myspace days. And the pride that I have for my city is a pride that is reciprocated the other way around. The city has always shown me love and the community members and the leaders.”
It’s a rare and beautiful thing when an artist doesn’t just represent their hometown but becomes a vessel for it, a walking testament to its complexity, its culture, and its love. For Jay, Santa Ana isn’t just where he’s from. It’s who he is.
“I’m not who I am without Santa Ana,” he stated, the words landing with the weight of truth.
And in many ways, that identity, fused with culture, shaped by a village, and rooted in strength, is what makes this recognition so significant. Jay doesn’t stand alone; he stands on the shoulders of the generations who came before, the friends who became family, and the city that molded him.
“I think that my identity is so clearly rooted in the neighborhood that I grew up in. And the community that raised me, the culture that raised me, the village that raised me is arguably the most important part of the concept of recognition.”
Jay’s pride isn’t performative. It’s lived. It’s real. It’s embedded in every breath, every shoutout, every celebration of the city that never stopped believing in him.
“It’s not a secret because I’m proud of where I come from,” he continued. “And this is one of the only places in the world that I know that celebrates the people that the city sits on top of, the people that we sit on the shoulders of, Chicanos and Blacks and Samoans and Vietnamese and all the different cultures that I come in rooms like this and I’m listening to the celebration.”
And perhaps the most powerful moment of the night was when Jay dedicated the honor not just to himself, but to those who made him, him:
“In the name of my pops, Hershell Hardimon, and my mama, Tina, and my homeboys, and my uncle Bubba, and everybody that’s ever loved me, the Tajalle family, you know, I receive this with gratitude and thanks and know that I do not take it lightly.”
Jay Taj doesn’t just tell stories. He lives them. And through his authenticity, through his purpose, and through his deep love for the place that raised him, he reminds us all that home is more than a location. It’s a legacy.
And in Santa Ana, that legacy lives on.
We proudly congratulate Jay Taj on this significant and well-earned recognition. This honor from the City of Santa Ana highlights not only his creative accomplishments, but his deep-rooted commitment to uplifting his community through music, storytelling, and service. It is a milestone that reflects the enduring relationship between an artist and the city that helped shape him. As he continues to lead with purpose and represent Santa Ana on every stage he steps onto, this moment stands as a meaningful reminder of the power of staying true to where you come from.
Photo Credits: Kaylyn Brown
