Jai Musiq

Kicking off the summer right, fresh off his graduation from Morehouse College’s Class of 2018, Jai Musiq of Memphis drops off a strong contender for underground and indie R&B smash hits for Summer 2018 with “Vacation” Feat. Cash Keldry, as produced by Berkli Music.

Jai and his music collective drop off an extremely vibrant, bright and fresh track with an instrumental that is extremely soothing, even as heard from the intro. Jai does not compromise his poetic lyricism, as showcased in his first verse and chorus, which also incorporates an evolution of his vocal ability. This key factor is a big plus and good omen for his upcoming full-length project.

Jai’s partner, Cash Keldry, also delivers noticeable lyricism and an easy breezy Memphis flow to compliment the fantastic timbre and audio that you can blast in your whip this summer with the top down. - The Demo Tape

Jai Musiq released his latest mix Patience on Valentines day 2018 providing the perfect soundtrack for lovers (and haters) to get down to. By far the most striking element in this mix is his raw humility that he unashamedly uses to animate the R&B Soul track which incorporates a rhythmic rap flow and a harmonious Hip Hop beat. Whilst the effects may dampen the message behind this open admission of a track, there really is no other criticism to be found. The synth addled beat is sonorously moving, and the ambience is almost paralysing from start to finish as you wonder where the mix will end up. Like pretty much every other decent track ever produced each time you listen to Patience you take a little more from it.

The Memphis Tennessee up and coming Hip Hop artist is definitely being added to my list of urban artists to watch in 2018. - AnR Factory

Joshua Johnson is an artist from Memphis, Tennessee who goes by the name of Jai Musiq. Johnson also began writing poetry at a young age. Johnson also began writing poetry at a young age. Johnson began writing poetry in middle school, he was also very involved in music through singing in the church choir and being in the All-State Tennessee selection for band in high school. He released his first project, The Josh Johnson EP, in August of 2015. After positive reception from the local music scene and several blogs, Johnson decided to release more music, which led to another project in the July of 2016 titled “Dolan Drive Dreams”. His newest track is called “Patience”, a song about relationships that was appropriately released on Valentine’s Day 2018.

“Patience” is a very emotionally chill song that shows Jai’s vocal range. He has the ability to constantly approach the beat from different angles melodically, taking off into high peaks and then bringing it down, landing back into the groove. The music behind his voice is made up of a looping acoustic guitar sample layered with dreamy tones and emotive sounds all driven forward by a mellow and steady beat. You can listen to “Patience” and follow Jai Musiq on the links below. Please continue to support artists like Jai and share this music with everyone you know. - The Music Butcher

Jai Musiq takes us on “Vacation”. Delivering the perfect summer vibes, Jai glides over a freeing beat that sounds like a fitting soundtrack to a walk down the beach taking in the beautiful scent of the ocean breeze with a deep breath. In the lyrics he discusses a girl he loves and all the places he wants to take her.

On this song, Jai is accompanied by Cash Keldry a rapper who comes through with a deliberate verse that slightly shifts the tone of the track. Overall, "Vacation" is a chill track you’ll feel great singing along to. This breezy tune will put a smile on your face. - The Plug Society

The latest track from Jai Musiq is the track that you never knew you needed on your summertime playlists. Vacation is a high vibe, sun soaked anthemic Hip Hop Rap hit that will leave you feeling hyped and at the same time wishing you had someone as awesome as Jai Musiq to invite you on holiday. A girl can dream.

Anyway, before I digress thanks to Jai Musiq’s potent romantic vibes and jaw droppingly sensational vocal offerings I need to tell you how absolutely stunning the Trap style beat is. The mix runs through a riddle of complexity which has you a little vexed by the intricacy with each kick, drop and snare of the synthesised aural bliss which constantly switches up in momentum in one of the most fluid styles I’ve heard this year. The beat is practically dripping with synergy.

I couldn’t recommend Vacation by Jai Musiq any more, so head on over to Spotify where you can soak up the summer beats for yourself. You may want to have your passport ready. - AnR Factory

Been a while! Always great to see & hear an artist is still out there doin’ their thang – it’s been about a year and a half or so since we’ve had Jai Musiq on our pages, back when we reviewed his record Dolan Drive Dreams back in 2016 when the world was still a simple & peaceful place…y’all remember that? We heard the potential back then and felt plenty confident Jai would be back again – and here we are.

With a seriously smooth tune called “Patience” – Jai has made the wait worthwhile. Not only has he come back with a song that’s chilled-out & inviting to listen to, but it’s focused & tightly written around a concept that we can all relate to on some level. Essentially, “Patience” is about making that jump from being single to being committed – but for the very first time. You remember the fear, the excitement, the trepidation, the emotions and the energy that come along with that pivotal moment in life…and if you don’t know or haven’t experienced that yet, well, that’s even better when it comes to listening to this new single – “Patience” ultimately gives you a blueprint for how to navigate through such a time.

You can tell you’re in for an intimate, up-close & personal track from the subtle way that Jai takes you into the vibe of “Patience,” with a layer of backing-vocals that talks out his thoughts direct – an essential part of this song. There are several layers of vocals that contribute to the song along the way, strengthening the atmosphere in really impressive ways that allow the music to stay truly minimalist while still offering a lot to the ears through the insightful way Jai’s voice is mixed into his surroundings throughout “Patience.” Lyrically, he gets completely real with YOU – but perhaps most importantly, he’s being real with himself, which is what makes this track connect and what drives its sincere intentions, message, and sound. - SleepingBagStudios

What more can you ask for from the Memphis based rapper Jai Musiq and his upbeat yet simple single, “Vacation” featuring Cash Keldry. While the modern calypso beat and poised lyricism provide the perfect combination of relaxation and weekend-turn up. Jai Musiq takes this single one step further with the accompanying music video equipped with beautiful, voluptuous women and poolside partying. Yet even with its stereotypical rap video features, Jai creates something genuine and real. These bikini-clad women aren’t sporting 24-inch waists or twerking manmade derrières. A member of Jai’s crew is even seen drinking Jameson whiskey, not Hennessey, Ciroc, or any other alcoholic beverage flourishing off the coattails of music industry payola. Jai’s lyrics are eloquent but still simple. He invites you to spend a typical Saturday kicking back with his closest friends. The aesthetic makes it hard to believe this is Jai’s first ever music video because he establishes a sense of refreshing authenticity.

“Vacation” isn’t just a summertime anthem, it’s a display of playful chivalry. Jai Musiq’s verses are spoiling the hypothetical woman with the idea of a lavish vacation wherever she wants to go. Yet the video offers the alternative of a staycation with friends. This appeal of being a sensitive, chivalrous man while still sustaining a masculine persona has a Drake-esque feel to it. Jai Musiq, with help from Cash Keldry, paints an elaborate but attainable picture for the laid-back listener on this track.

This Summer Jai Musiq dropped his EP, “Project is Done” maintaining his same genuine energy. Consisting of only three songs, this project seems to be more of an impromptu release of singles rather than a complete project but still delivers quality flow. Even though the tracks lack the versatility of “Vacation,” we can look forward to more songs and videos from the Memphis artist. - Hayley Tharp

A young Memphis prince comes of age with his heart, mind, and soul: molding his passions, spiritual awakenings, and musical training into one final gambit after months of letting the sauced-up lyricism and tracks marinate across the South and beyond. The Sap Junt has arrived in full force, now streaming on all platforms.

The Sap Junt comes after 6+ months of singles, music videos, freestyles, radio appearances, personally-funded tours and more as Jai Musiq brings in a run so hot that it needs anti-freeze.

The Demo Tape covered Jai this past Valentine’s Day 2k18 with Jai’s release of “Patience”, a heartfelt single regarding his divorcing of toxic traits and hurt in order to experience a healthier, newer love in front of him. He would follow-up with the smoothly-assisted Cash Keldry single entitled “Vacation” in order to kick off the summer on a tropical-vibe, and finally his Project is Done EP this past July 2018 to send off warning shots for the storm to come. Jai Musiq’s The Sap Junt is a personal and graceful triumph: a coming of age, braggadocios flex of pure Memphis steez, and a dedication to the strength of his career and those who helped him grow to this point.

1.) “Let’s Vibe” Feat. Chelsthemac:
“How does Eternity sound?”

“Let’s Vibe” feat. Chelsthemac starts off the project with lush instrumentation, great vocal harmonization between Jai and Chelsthemac, and a nice touch of balanced 808s beats and auxiliary sounds. When you hear Jai’s effortless but effective fusion of his singing vocals and poetic rap flow, it makes you wish Bryson Tiller had come with this type of heat back in 2017. Chelsthemac’s lovely vocals provided the melodic paste to the track in the style of Athena Cage to Keith Sweat’s “Nobody.”

2.) “Kylie Speaks”:
“The consequence of being a sap for attention. Whatever the hell this is…Think I’m starting to smell the flowers.”

“Kylie Speaks” was a great interlude in which the philosophy of young love was eloquently captured in poetry. Jai Musiq brilliantly uses his own platform to highlight his circle. Kylie is able to tell a brief anecdote of toxic and problematically addicting love that shows change is needed; this is foreshadowing for the story in the album as it unfolds.

3.) “Bad AF”:
“You know when I pull up, it’s about to get hectic.”

When compared to his “Who Run It Freestyle” and tracks from Project is Done EP, “Bad AF” unfortunately and noticeably pales in comparison. The instrumental for this particular track was generic considering the past two tracks and Jai Musiq’s typical sagacious choices of instrumentals to compose to. The chorus, at the least, should have had the proper base in the instrumental to match the energy of the song’s lyrics and flows. However, this unintentional handicap did not stop Jai from delivering a slugging verse of lyricism and Memphis machismo to balance out the instrumental, letting loose his wordplay and southern game spitting. Another good thing that came from this song was the sneaking in of a concept project in the same way that J.Cole attempted—albeit failed because of excessive vagueness—with “Deja Vu” on 4 Your Eyez Only. By this time, you see the formation of a love interest, reflective of Jai Musiq’s own life journey.

4.) “Luminosity”:
“It’s like I found you at the right time.”

“Luminosity” illuminates the balanced, versatile excellence of Jai as a triple threat (vocalist, rapper, seasoned poet) as he starts off a positive switch of energy in a lyrical epic reminiscent of Big Rube on classic Outkast tracks. The instrumental and level of rap dexterity on “Luminosity” is what the industry needs. What’s even more illuminated is how Jai is a true musician with the falsettos, structured syncopations and vocal inflexions with his voice during the track and transitions, which showed the vibe of this album should have leaned more towards this direction completely.

5.) “J’Taime Speaks”:
“We are a beautiful, broken mess. We were never supposed to make it, but our broken pieces make a perfect fit.”

This showcased poet’s name is a verbal play off of the French phrase “Je t’aime” meaning “I love you.” A community man, Jai Musiq uses a slot of his platform once again to give highlighting to his talented creative circle; an industry ruse championed and perfected in genuineness by Kanye West and Chance the Rapper in their respective earlier musical projects.

6.) “Patience”:
“Can you be patient with me?”

What made the “J’Taime Speaks” track more magical is how the faded instrumental in the background evolved into the fully-realized instrumental for “Patience”, the next track which speaks for itself and also ties together the album’s story of truly falling for somebody; making the energy expressed through “Bad AF”—impulsive feelings we all as humans exhibit—extremely irrelevant in the light of the patient process of love.

7.) “Pullin’ Up Interlude”:
“I need you right now, you ease my mind.”

“Pullin’ Up Interlude” is more than just a simple interlude, but a climax to the end of a story of a fly young Memphis junt growing up to get the love and prestige he deserves.

8.) Vacation:
“Tell me baby, where do you wanna go?”

The final scene of this movie ends with “Vacation”, a vibe beyond vibes that banged as a breakout single when it first released and still does.

9.) “Patience (Acoustic)”:
“I’m so high and so free.”

As an acoustic cover, “Patience (Acoustic)” ended the album fantastically, bringing the end to a great close and foreshadowing more greatness to come like a credits scene.

Jai Musiq, through his example, showcases his maturity and the importance of an artist building a brand rather than instant gratification. Stream the project today and experience true Memphis greatness. - The Demo Tape

After months of releasing singles, music videos, freestyles, radio appearances and personally funded tours across the South and beyond, Jai Musiq finally has released his long awaited project, “The Sap Junt.”

At the heart of this new wave of Memphis talent is Joshua Jones, also known as Jai Musiq. He has created some of the most generic hip-hop and R&B music to date, such as his single, “Patience.”

“Patience” is a heartfelt song about asking your significant other for time to remove any toxic traits and past pain in order to experience a healthier relationship moving forward.

“It’s really hard to box me into one genre of music because my style is so versatile. It’s not much that I can’t do musically,” says Jai Musiq.

Serious and sensitive rather than showy and materialistic, his confessional material, which deals with deeply personal relationship woes, is why his latest project is titled “The Sap Junt.”

“I chose to release my project in the colder months because we refer to these months as ‘Cuffing Season,’ says Jai Musiq, referencing that time of year when sources such as Urban Dictionary say, “People who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves along with the rest of the world desiring to be ‘cuffed’ or tied down by a serious relationship.”

“And as you can probably realize by the title of this project, many of my songs are relating to love and relationships,” says Jai Musiq. “I put it out at a time where I felt it would be most relatable.”

“The Sap Junt” is nine songs of Jai Musiq molding his passions, life lessons and musical training into one project – using hip hop, R&B and spoken word.

Jai Musiq recently graduated from Morehouse College, with a bachelor’s degree in music composition.

“I began to take interest in music in middle school. I joined Snowden’s band, then from there I went to Central High School, where I was a part of the drumline as well as in the choir. I continued to be apart of the drumline as I matriculated at Morehouse College. …

“I enjoy making music. Being in the studio, creating music and performing on stage are my favorite places to be in the world.”

“The Sap Junt” is a personal and graceful triumph; a coming of age, braggadocios flex of pure Memphis steez, and a dedication to the strength of his career and those who helped him grow to this point,” says Maurice Valentino, a music columnist for thedemotape.com.

An effortless but effective fusion of his singing vocals and poetic rap flow is what separates his sound from many other artists. Though he loads up on steely bars, Jai doesn’t forget to flaunt his singing prowess.

(Jai Musiq’s “The Sap Junt” is available on all music streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and YouTube. For more info, email jaimakesmusiq@gmail.com. Follow Jai Musiq on Instagram (@jaimusiq).) - The New Tri-State Defender