Kaly Jay grew up aware of the rich multi-racial cultural history of music in that part of the city. “Beyond rap, I was heavily influenced by the history of jazz and funk in my neighborhood. When all of those influences are combined, you get my sound.” He began playing music seriously as a teenager in a band with his high school friends Frak and Sean. “We laugh when we reflect on those days because we wanted to be really ‘woke’ with our raps and our image. While the intentions were pure and the potential was there, in all honesty, we just came off as young and naive to the ways of the world.” Now, he still expresses positive messages in his lyrics, but in a more sophisticated, subtle way. However, he appreciates what he learned from his early days as a musician and sees that time in his life as valuable.
“I cherish that experience because it was a starting point. At the time, I didn't know how to record vocals well, count bars, or even put music out on the internet. Today, I'm a much better MC, singer, and performer with a clearer understanding of my craft. My growth came from consistent practice and failure until I started getting it right.”
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