The present conditions of mainstream hip-hop have brought about a rift between diehards (determined to stay abreast of what’s fresh and under the radar) and those who are jaded that claim the music is stagnant, with hyperbole going  so far as to actually proclaim it dead. With a people deprived of anything resembling a progressive bent from the mass media outlets they rely on, Jay Electronica has become heavily touted as the one destined to change the culture’s climate and restore substance.

Jay Electronica hasn’t much of a back story, seeming to thrive off of the great aura and mystique surrounding his persona. Pieces to his puzzle include the geography of stemming from New Orleans, and making his way through Detroit, Philly and other major metropolitan cities before ending up  in New York at present. Along the path, Jay developed working relationships with producers Denaun Porter, Rashad “Tumbling Dice” Smith and Just Blaze, as well as a closer partnership with Erykah Badu who gave birth to his daughter last year. Aside from sporadic smatterings beforehand, the summer of 2007 brought his formal introduction to the world with Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), a 15 minute sampler of sorts that included Just Blaze & Erykah gushing over his personal aesthetics. That fall, blogger Sweeney Kovar’s site ran a press release of sorts that spun the internet on its axis with all manners of esteemed friends and colleagues praising his name to the highest of heavens. Most of all, this blog entry promised a release entitled Act II that was originally slated for Christmas of 2007, as of this writing the project still hasn’t seen light of day. While fans left eagerly anticipating Act II were disappointed, it was largely assumed that the artist was a perfectionist and that the opus would arrive when he was ready.

Though still somewhat of a secret in 2008, “Exhibit A” built a frenzy around Jay Electronica as the remix featuring Mos Def garnered him his first big moment under the spotlight.  Shortly thereafter, the rapper known for speaking against Hip-Hop’s evils struck up a kinship with Sean “Diddy” Combs (an entity largely considered paramount towards irreparable damage done to the culture), a move which dually confused followers and bolstered his intrigue tenfold.  This past fall, Just Blaze premiered an unmastered version of “Exhibit C” on satellite radio, a song that further cemented Jay’s great talent in the hearts and minds of those already in the know. Early adopters espoused its virtues for approximately two months, as it languished away from the masses until becoming a tool used in attempts of gaining market saturation for the artist. 

The terms Exhibit C and Jay Electronica have become practically unavoidable as of late, without explanation as to why the people have rallied so heavily around this particular song and artist at this juncture. Hot 97’s DJ Enuff complained about the record not being a part of the station’s regular rotation, his comrade in arms Funkmaster Flex spins it now, and rap’s competitors ranging from established veterans to the popular and obscure have done takes rapping over the instrumental. Bandwagon supporters seem to act as if they’re a part of something bigger than life itself, drawing comparisons to early Nas and claiming Jay Electronica to be a savior of hip-hop. Conversely, those with a predisposal towards rooting for underdogs, a keen sense of awareness, and a firm grasp on reality would argue “Exhibit C” is merely another amongst the throng of equally powerful records that would go unheralded without the proper push.

Despite the sudden hullaballoo surrounding his name, Jay Electronica’s craft is by no means overrated. He is worthy of much acclaim, having steadily built his large reputation from a small collection of stellar material. He comes equipped with a combination of razor sharp battle rhymes and a knowledge base referencing 5 Percenter lessons amongst other religions, as well as politics and world history, rendering him a force to be reckoned with alongside today’s most championed MCs. Now all of the rage amongst newfound fans and industry executives (often known for doing business pumping out lesser quality material), it has yet to be determined whether Jay Electronica will live up to the hype machine’s expectations  or whether his grand promises are empty in nature. While his potential rise could signal a changing of the guard, his ubiquitous buzz begs a few questions: What is to be made of an audience so lazy that true talent stays undiscovered until marketed by a music industry in such shambles? Has the time finally come for “real” hip-hop to widely prevail once again or is the fervor for Jay Electronica just another momentary trend?