Jay Meadows is a hip hop & experimental r&b artist from Mississauga, Canada, a city just outside of Toronto. He started making music when he was about 20 years old and initially focused on a rap heavy approach with influences such as Meek Mill, Lil Wayne, Eminem & Kayne West fuelling the content and delivery behind his early music, most notably in older songs such as Affair & Meadowvale Go, which is a nod to the area of Mississauga that he is from. Today, Jay focuses on making new music and honing his sound in addition to working on his abilities in other areas of music such as producing and as a DJ.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Jay Meadows, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
I actually got into music from at the age of 8 when a friend showed me 50 Cent's "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" album. I fell in love and was really into hip hop since then. I think the first album I ever bought was Nellyville. Later on I started playing the drums at the age of 10. My family places a big importance on music, with my dad playing the guitar and my sister who plays piano. So at 10, I was told to pick an instrument. I chose the drums and was actually in a phase where I listened to a lot of classic and punk rock, especially in high school. Eventually I ventured back into hiphop and started writing and recording my own music.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
Im actually a Registered Nurse, which allows for a very flexible schedule. I sometimes have alot of days off in a row so I can just stay focused on music, see my family and friends, and work on other projects during those days
Your latest song is 'Steve Rogers'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Steve Rogers was a track that was solely inspired by my confidence. I started working on it after I found out a track that a friend and I made had been placed onto the Northern Bars editorial playlist on Spotify. That was really big for me and it was the first time that happened. It kinda made me feel that all the effort I'm putting in is not for nothing and that I can really hang with some of the best artists in the country. So I made this song just based off of all those feelings.
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
Just the ability to create something out of nothing. Hearing the drums, chords, and vocals all come together. Seeing people bop their head to my music and just sing back lyrics to me is crazy too. All of that inspires me to keep creating
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
I'd probably stick with being a nurse. I love helping people. I also have a few side hustles that I have as well so I would focus on those some more.
How do you know when a work is finished?
Id say when im truly happy with it but that can be hard because I'm a perfectionist. So I'd say that when I get to a point that the changes im making to a song are more nit-picky than actually necessary.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Just that a lot of you may not know me now. But I'm gonna work tirelessly so that in a few years I promise, you will.
Do you have a mentor or coach?
I have a few people I look up to locally that kind of help me craft my sound. We got some stuff coming up but for now we're keeping it under the radar till we know exactly how we wanna put out everything
Who is your favourite musician?
I'd say my biggest inspiration is Kanye. For just constantly innovating, stay current with new sounds, and never being afraid to go out of the box
What are your plans for the future?
Im just focusing on dropping more singles. I got an idea for an EP as well thats going to be a sound thats not really the type of music I typically put out. But its a sound I've been inspired by so I just wanted to make a project focusing around that.