Today we’d like to introduce you to J’ray.
Hi J’ray, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began music at a very young age growing up in Lagos, Nigeria. I was often around music in the church, at school, and at home through which I got to learn a few musical instruments like the guitar, piano, and drums.
A lot of times when I played the guitar, I found myself writing to the tunes I played without giving it too much thought. I wrote close to 50 songs before actually putting out my first single “Sisi” which was very well received and I just never stopped since then.
I went on to release singles, videos, and extended playlists (EP), with my most recent release being my first solo body of work “UnJ’rayted” which as the name implies suggests that J’ray is/was often underrated. “UnJ’rayted” is a 4-track extended playlist with a variety of music genres that aim to give fans and listeners a 360 experience of J’ray.
I recently released the official video for my biggest song “Dance” which is also off the UnJ’rayted EP. The video is currently available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66b3Id3EfnE
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The journey has come with its challenges for sure. From promotions to working with the right producers, to the actual creative process that goes behind a song.
The biggest challenge for any artist including myself has to be pushing your sound to a bigger audience. Oftentimes, a lot of people ignore/overlook songs that are not from “Top A list” artists which is understandable, but as a rising act, you constantly have to come up with innovative ways and strategies to grab people’s attention, I’m getting there though.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Firstly, I am a “musician” and not just an “artist”. I have a strong musical background, so I’m definitely not your basic artist and you can tell by listening to my most recent project “UnJ’rayted” which is an Afro-Fusion project that represents who I am as a musician.
I am most proud of how far I have come with my music. I remember starting out when only friends and family listened to my music. Now, I have listeners from over 70 countries, and it’s an amazing feeling.
I think what really sets me apart from other artists is my ability to be diverse with my melody. More often than not I step out of my comfort zone to create music fans will enjoy, meanwhile a lot of artists are not as comfortable stepping out of their main genre.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think there are a few characteristics that I consider important to my success but I definitely have persistence, patience, and passion at the top of my list.
I feel like each of these plays a significant role in anyone’s success but for me personally, my passion for music just makes me keep going and I ensure to have it at the back of my mind that I’m really only one song away.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jrayworldwide.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jrayofficiall/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jrayofficiall/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jrayofficiall
Image Credits
Daniel Sanni
Ernesto Juarez
Femi Olateju
