Jay Electronica’s relationship with his fans is very unorthodox and completely worth it.

My first direct message was from Jay Electronica in 2008, days after Christmas. I had just joined twitter and made the premature decision to follow every rapper on the network and Jay followed me back. Soon after, he sent a direct message—no words, just this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kGPhpvqtOc&feature=related

It was a YouTube link to a music video of “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins—I’ll leave delving into the implications of this message for my readers.

Later that year, I was unfollowed. But I wasn’t alone. It was “The Great Unfollowing of 2009.” Jay Electronica unfollowed nearly all of his fans, truncating his follower list to less than 200. A year later, high off the heels of announcing his signing to Roc Nation, he followed everyone back—sort of.

In the small hours of Nov. 15, Jay Electronica announced he would follow back anyone who hit him up. And they did. Jay Elect was the proud recipient of over 1500 mentions just an hour after the announcement. He has since followed about 1600 fans, a Dave Chappelle impersonator, Joe Budden, and me.

Jay Elect also opened his AIM and ichat (SN: Jay Electronica) to the masses and encouraged fans to submit their Blackberry chat pins—a common practice for the crescent city emcee.

But is it worth his time? Affording fans access to everything from your AIM screen name and twitter direct messages to your cell phone pin? In a word: yes.

Jay Electronica goes the distance, and his fans take notice. Amidst the flurry of “please follow me” tweets were tales of Jay encounters by super fans.

Katie P. (@KPappsmear), of Los Angeles recalls a few Blackberry messenger conversations last year. While holiday shopping, Jay Elect messaged her about being nervous as he was preparing for a performance.

DJ Critical Hype (@criticalhype) got a few direct messages as well. Despite being an emerging DJ, he kept the conversation fan to artist. Student, Reggie Noble (@kidnoble) did too. He remembers the conversation feeling less like a fan to artist transaction and more like a normal conversation. He was spoken to, “just as a person.”

The most remarkable fan story came from Kevin Cooper (@cooperkm89), perhaps the biggest Jay Electronica fan on twitter.

Cooper has a Jay Electronica shirt he likes to wear to shows. Inscribed on it the infamous line from “Exhibit C”— “Call me Jay Elec-Hannukah / Jay Elec-Yarmulke…”— but more on that later.

At Cooper’s fourth Jay show, the New Orleans rapper pulled him and a crowd of fans onto the stage while opening for Kid Cudi in October at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign).

“At one point during the show, Jay got back on stage and turned to me; And we proceeded to rap over his songs, face-to-face in center stage,” said Cooper chronicling his account.

“He was acknowledging that I knew all his sh*t, and that acknowledgment was much appreciated.“

But that wasn’t all. To security’s chagrin, Jay snuck Cooper backstage. No weed, no liquor, just talk. About music—fellow opener Chip the Rip and headliner Kid Cudi (whom Jay Elect had never met at the time). They even watched Cudi’s set together. Jay was intrigued by Cudi’s command of the crowd.

They soon after parted ways. Cooper could’ve joined Jay’s entourage for the night, but in fear of being a burden or exhibiting utter and complete stannery—he passed.

“I shook Jay’s hand, said great show once again. He asked, ‘Did you have a good time?’ To which I replied ‘Oh yeah!’ Or something else equally dull but spurred on by an awed star-struck state that had not yet dissipated,” said Cooper.

But wait, there’s more. Remember when Jay Electronica punched a concertgoer at a Disco Biscuits show in Chicago? Cooper does. And yes, he was wearing that shirt.

After what Cooper says were pleas by Jay to stop fans from throwing items at him, he punched a DB fan after being hit with a beer bottle. Everyone in the venue had turned against Jay Electronica.

Subsequently, Jay Elect spent the rest of his set rapping to a handful of his fans in the crowd. He even jumped passed the barricade for a proper introduction. And when it came time to perform “Exhibit C,” our boy Cooper was a star.

“He pointed directly at me and did the verse on my shirt,” said Cooper. “Basically reading the verse off of my shirt, so as to draw attention to it.”

“That was really cool of him to do.”

And on Nov. 15, Cooper got a follow.

Jay Electronica doesn’t have fans, but brand evangelists. He breeds them. It’s not enough to make music people enjoy. Artists who take the time to develop a relationship with listeners build a stronger fan base.

For a previously unsigned artist with a few sporadic releases, his following is remarkably strong. In the wake of Jay Electronica’s Roc Nation announcement, he gained about 3k followers and an additional 3k after tweeting about his following spree—he previously averaged a 450 daily follower gain and currently has a total of over 128k followers.

Prior to joining Roc Nation, Jay Electronica had garnered a magazine cover, a track ranked amongst iTunes’ top 10 selling hip-hop music downloads and “the most buzz worthy artist” title by numerous media outlets—success unprecedented by an artist with no formal projects released or a record deal.

There aren’t too many artists who really engage on Twitter but artists like Jay Electronica prove that tactics that bring music back to the fans yield results. At a time where the record industry is in a severe decline, new strategy is crucial to its turnaround—just ask Cooper.

“I still get excited thinking about it,” Cooper says. “I’ve seen Jay four times now, and I’ve learned that if you show your appreciation, he will acknowledge you and be grateful.”

“Yep. Jay Elect reigns supreme…over everything.”

—@SincerelyJane

This post was republished from social media and hip-hop blog, BornIn88.com, courtesy of the author.

Photo: culurebully.com

Who better to make an appearance on the indie emo-tinged “Erase Me” than Kanye West? The two are together again for Kid Cudi’s upcoming sophomore release Man on the Moon 2: The Legend of Mr. Rager.

Cudi offers an alternate version to his second single “Pursuit of Happiness” off his debut album Man on the Moon. This version, directed by Megaforce, takes a different approach with no party scene or random Drake cameo.

Check out the video for the single, “Memories” by David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi.

Shouts to NahRight!

Photo courtesy of eightyocho.com | Eric Vogel

WORDS BY LAUREN MCEWEN

Cosigned by long-time friend, Kanye West and equipped with a nice flow, a gift for production and a hyphen in his name that he takes very seriously, 88-Keys is gunning for a spot among hip-hop’s elite. His first album, The Death of Adam, was a feature-heavy tribute to a fictional friend named “Adam,” who allowed his love and lust for women to lead him to his demise. Executively produced by West, 88-Keys’ debut was a virtual roll call of musical talent. Artists including Kid Cudi, Phonte of Little Brother, J*DaVeY, Bilal, Redman, Shitake Monkey and of course, Kanye West all paid their respects to Adam, the fallen “everyman.”

After the video for his first single, “Stay Up! (Viagra),” featuring Kanye West, began popping up on video playlists, 88-Keys gained a considerable amount of buzz in the music world. The Death of Adam made it’s way onto a variety of top albums lists, including MySpace’s “Top 50 Albums” and AllMusic’s “Top Hip Hop Albums.”

88-Keys’ latest song “Baggage Claim,” produced by multi-platinum talent Needlz, is themed after ABC’s hit show Lost, shows that Keys has more hits to offer hip-hop. He is currently working on a follow-up album to Adam and it should not disappoint.

Check out his new single, “Baggage Claim”:

Baggage Claim by 88-keys

25 Magazine: When did you decide to pursue a career in music?

88-keys: I guess it was ’97 or ’98 when I first got paid for my music, after doing it for a couple of years. I got about 700 or 900 bucks for selling my very first music that I ever made on a machine that I still use to this day. So I was like, “Ok, so, this is how this is going down. I see.” So I decided to make music my life.

25: Who are your major inspirations?

88-keys: Overall, my inspirations are my brother, Dr. Anthony K. Njapa, Q-Tip, Ralph Lauren and Pete Rock.

25: What’s behind your Polo obsession? Just loving the brand?

88-keys: It’s like you can’t go wrong with Ralph. I started buying the Polo brand back in ’91, but back then I was still buying other brands, but I always noticed that I was spending a long time rummaging through other people’s brands, and always coming up short because I didn’t really like the stuff, but by the time I went to the Ralph Lauren Polo section, of the department stores I used to shop in I couldn’t even decide which ones to pick because they were all fresh.

Finally I just said, “Why am I wasting my time trying to shop with other brands when I don’t love their clothing,” but I always love Polo stuff, so that was it, since ’92 until now. And then since ’06 is when I decided to wear Polo from head to toe. I don’t own any Nikes or whatever cats are wearing now days, Supras. I don’t own any New Era, or New York fitted hats, or anything like that. It’s just all Ralph Lauren Polo.

25: What made you choose dedicate entire debut album to your friend?

88-keys: It’s a story that everybody knows, and everybody is familiar with, but I felt like that story hadn’t been told through music in such detail. Sure, there are love songs, of course. There are songs about meeting that special someone. There are even songs about catching STDs out there, I’m sure, but I don’t think anyone has pulled it off quite the way I have: making the story very concise and fluid, almost.

25: Your bio on your website said that some of his other friends were upset that you dedicated your entire album to him. Why do you think that they feel that way?

88-keys: My bio is actually just a play on my album. Anything regarding myself on my bio is all true, but Adam is actually a fictional person, but he’s everybody. I do have friends who went through the same stuff that Adam went through, and I feel that every man has gone through some, if not all, of what Adam went through on my album—like what he actually went through physically and thought processes and his emotions.

And I feel that every woman of age knows an “Adam” in their lives. Whether they dealt with that person or their homegirls went out with that person and they were trying to steer them clear of that person. Adam could be mine and your father. So, Adam is every man in one way or the other.

Photo courtesy of eightyocho.com | Eric Vogel

25: How does it feel to be a family man breaking out into the music industry? Hip-hop isn’t always the most family-friendly of genres?

88-keys: I’m a father of two and a husband of one. That’s one of the reasons that I made the album because I’m trying to restore the traditional family unit. It definitely has its downsides. I don’t work on my music as much as I used to because I have other obligations to my wife and my daughters, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I love them, and we plan on making more to add to the clan.

We’re actually working on a schedule. The schedule has allowed me to have three free days to work, and then my wife helps out as often as she can, like holding the kids down while I try to bring home the bacon. But she brings in bacon, too. She actually might wind up bringing home more bacon than I am, because she’s awesome and she has her creative business going on that she started.

25: Doing what?

88-keys: I’ll just say that it deals with photography. My wife is a self-taught photographer. She’s pretty dope. She has a website up. She met another woman who shares her interest and is a self-taught photographer. They clicked and formed a business plan, and it’s crazy. I think she might wind up making an “M” before I do, to be honest. But we’re married so, what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is mine.

25: What’s your favorite song on your entire album?

88-keys: My favorite song would be numbers 1 through 14. Had you asked me the same question before Kanye came in as executive producer, I would have said a song that no longer appears on the album, and everything else was secondary. But now, that the song was taken off I just love every song as much as the previous one. Yeah…my album’s pretty dope.

25: Who are three people that you would love to collaborate with in the future?

88-keys: Michael McDonald, Lupe Fiasco and, had he not passed so suddenly, I’d like to say the late, great, J-Dilla.

25: Do you have any plans for a tour in the future?

88-keys: Yeah, my management is working to get a meeting with a very well-known, reputable agency, but it’s been pretty hectic. The agency actually put me on tour with Kid Cudi, Asher Roth and B.O.B., and through them I also did a show with Lupe Fiasco a little while ago at Governors Island. As far as getting more touring gigs, that’s kind of up in the air right now. I’m pretty sure it’s gonna happen, but we just have to get the meeting. I’m actually happy that I’m not on the road right now because now I’m working on my next album, my next mixtape, and a bunch of projects, like some feature verses that I owe people, and my next beat CD—so I am a busy man!

25: Do any of your other projects have themes to them?

88-keys: They will. My next album most likely will, but I haven’t really decided yet. But I will say this—it’ll be dope! You heard it here first, folks.

25: Do you have any advice for other people who want to break into the music industry?

88-keys: Yes, don’t do it! Stay your ass in school! No, seriously. Be honest with yourself. That’s first and foremost. If you’re a rapper, and you know you’re not rapping as well as a Consequence, or a Lupe, or Kanye, or whoever. If you’re nowhere near their level of freshness, work on it behind closed doors, but don’t start putting songs up on MySpace, like “Yo! I’m the next Kid Cudi!” Be honest with yourself.

I have a feeling that people actually know that they’re not that fresh, but they’re just, like, throwing pasta at the wall. If you’re not that fresh then you’re just wasting people’s time. For producers, it’s the same thing. If your beats aren’t that crazy, keep working on it and actually surface when you have something buzzworthy. I mean, music is all a matter of opinion, but there are some people who should just know that they’re wack. I’m not saying hang it up completely—well, there does come a time when one should hang it up completely—but don’t like puff your chest out when there’s no air in your lungs.

For more on 88-Keys, check out www.eightyocho.com.

Peep 88-Keys’ video for “Stay Up (Viagra)” feat. Kanye West:

At a Boston tour stop,  Kid Cudi & Co. produced a video of the crew smoking mary jane to the tune of freestyle ”Cudderisback.” New Cudi upcoming album Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution on theway. #veryfunny

Shouts to DNC!

Another holiday treat (53 tracks!)! Benzi x Mick Boogie x D Star x Mike Posner – Motivation III. Tracklist, download and stream after the jump!

Benzi x Mick Boogie x D Star – Motivation 3 (Hosted by Mike Posner) from DJ Benzi at Letsmix.com.

Benzi x Mick Boogie x D Star x Mike Posner – Motivation III | Download Here or Here

After a recent incident in which Cudi punched a fan in Canada after an item was lodged at the stage, Cudi was booted from the nearly sold-out tour. However, his representatives have released a statement in which they express that he “decided to take an early leave of absence….to balance his schedule surrounding the recording of his next album.”

25 Magazine’s India Banks gives Kid Cudi’s debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, a first listen.

Words by India Banks

Last year Kid Cudi released his first mixtape A Kid Named Cudi, and now a year later he’s released Man on the Moon: The End of Day, his debut album. One of the most buzzed about rap rookies in 2009, Cudi has peeled back his layers, allowing a transparent view of the internal struggles that made him feel alienable in this world, thus becoming “man on the moon.” Cudi crafts an experimental “electro-hop” album with melodious lyrics, into five different ‘Acts’ with rapper Common as narrator. The album features collaborations from Ratatat, MGMT, and Kanye West amongst others. Although Cudi shows worry and disdain on tracks like “Solo Dolo” and “Alive (Nightmare),” the songs “Pursuit of Happiness” and “Up Up Away” show Cudi’s emphatic views on his future. He may feel like he’s in a world of his own right now, but his extrinsic nature is a new wind gaining force in the evolving genre of hip-hop.

Act I: The End of Day

1. “In My Dreams” – Also known as the “Cudder Anthem,” Cudi enters his quest to outer space and invites his listeners into his dreams and thoughts.

2. “Soundtrack 2 My Life” – Cudi describes life’s depressing moments. He admits that he has hidden issues that he can only clearly express through his lyrics.

3. “Simple As…” – With lines such as, “I can’t be lame, I’m cooler than that,” Cudi shows his boastful side. He brushes off his shoulders to all his haters and keeps it moving.

Act II: Rise of the Night Terrors

4. “Solo Dolo” – This track is the opening to “Act II: Rise of the Night Terrors.” The slow beat and eerie background effects create a sinister theme. Cudi feels lonely, and he needs no one else as he is “soaring through paradise.”

5. “Heart of a Lion” –Cudi makes it clear that no one can break him. He is well on his path and is determined to accomplish his goals regardless of critics’ thoughts or actions.

6. “My World” – Cudi reminisces on times when his self esteem was low and no one cared about him. But he proudly affirms that “this will be my world,” to all the nay-sayers.

Act III: Taking a Trip

7. “Day N’ Nite” – The song subliminally revolves around using drugs to escape depression. The clever electro backdrops and heavy bass add to the overall sound of the track.

8. “Sky Might Fall” – This track puts listeners’ imaginations to work! Cudi spits, “Grey clouds stuck together fam/ lightening piercing through another land/ over the desert where the lost play/ soul searching each and every way, and then you see the awesome sounds.

9. “Enter Galactic (Love Connection)” – Cudi sings of his significant other joining him in entering a ‘galactic’ high.

Act IV: Stuck

10. “Alive (Nightmare)” – This is the classic tale of the werewolf-half man half monster, in which the latter comes alive with the full moon. Cudi eerily draws personal comparisons from this character.

11. “Cudi Zone” – Once again Cudi explains his contentment when he “soars high.”

12. “Make Her Say” – Kanye West and Common join Cudi on a tale of three men spitting about their humorous sexual conquests on a sample of Lady Gaga’s, “Poker Face.” Cudi’s verse is a refreshing change from the stop-start flow of his previous tracks.

13. “Pursuit of Happiness” – The combination of hip-hop and techno makes this track a success. These addictive lyrics are actually positive and simple. The smooth beat gives off a mellow vibe.

Act V: A New Beginning

14. Hyyerr – Another narcotic driven song! The mid-tempo beat and background claps are relaxing. “Hyyerr” is the first track where Cudi doesn’t use metaphors for drugs. His lyrics are blunt. “Back in high school smoke weed when I cut class and now I’m an addict tragic stay rolling up while reclining.”

15. Up, Up & Away – Great track to end this rather interesting album. It’s a new day and nothing has changed. Cudi states that he continues to be himself because people will judge anyway. His carefree attitude adds to his self-confidence.

New track from Kid Cudi “I Poke Her Face” featuring Kanye West and Common. Read more for download.

“I Poke Her Face” Ft. Kanye West & Common – Kid Cudi |Download Here

Shouts to 2dopeboyz