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The New King Of The South Emerging!

From a very young age, OBN Jay became fascinated by rapping and writing his own rhymes.
Photographer: Christian Traver@christiantravernyc | Stylist: SIR Darryl @Sir.darrylneal | Interview: Jaylen Coaxum @jccxm | Grooming: Sabrina Lugo@sabrinalugobeauty |Photo Assistant: Malachi Smythe@malachismythe | Stylist Assistant: Jaileen Estevez @jaileen and Jayvis Mercado @forevercurlyjay | Shoot Producer: Christopher Santiago @chrisguwOp | Talent: @obnjay | JUCE EIC: SIR Darryl | JUCE Head Of A&R: @gabesworld |MNRK Records Marketing: Courtney Snowden | OBN JAY Publicist: Tasha Stoute @mzguinness | Videographer: David Jesus @chuckydrina

“He takes his art, puts it on a canvas and makes works of art,” said manager Quayshaun of one of his star artists, OBN Jay. And he’s far from the only person singing his praises on his rise to the top.

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, OBN Jay, whose government name is Jeremy, comes from the streets of Boosie and Kevin Gates. In fact, he grew up down the street from where Boosie lived, taking great inspiration from his style and his demeanor in his art.

“I was raised in a single parent home, my mom kept 3 jobs to make sure everything was smooth,” he said. “Seeing how things were, the struggle didn’t go over my head.”


Growing up with big dreams, OBN Jay would remind himself of the greater goal and, most importantly, who it was for. “‘One day we ain’t gon’ have to share a room all the time, live Section 8, government assistance,’” he’d say to himself. This hustler mentality was taught to him by his mother, who he admires greatly for wanting to break the mold in their family.

“She was one of them top hustlers in my family; my family, we really from poverty. My family ain’t really hustle [as] hard as my mom. Pops was a street guy, but he never allowed any street activities (smoke, guns, nothing) for us [kids].”

From a very young age, OBN Jay became fascinated by rapping and writing his own rhymes.

Shirt: BLUE MARBLE | Pants: J Madison | Sneaker: Alexander McQueen | Socks: Nike | Jewelry: OBN JAY’S OWN

“I used to always like music, [it] always felt like a getaway. People [around me] rapped about subjects I could relate to,” he said.

In the first grade, he wrote his first rap. The outcome? “My momma beat my ass for it! I was cursing and talking about what was going on in my city. Stuff that I shouldn’t’ve been talking about in the 1st grade.”

Shirt: NAHMIAS | Pants: Helmut Lang | Shoes: Off-White | Socks: Nike | Jewelry: OBN JAY’S OWN

OBN Jay waited until he was older to seriously pursue that passion for rapping. When he was 16, he started doing flooring work and getting jobs to pay for studio time. One of his good friends had an in-house studio.

“I’d go after school at like 10:30pm, still in high school, and record for free when he ain’t have clients. Most of my biggest songs come from his production.” The man in question is Chris James.

Today, of course, he says his family is proud of him. As per his mom, she reassured him that it wasn’t that she didn’t support him then in the 1st grade, it was more so that he was too young to be speaking on those subjects. In his words, his family “show[s] mad love.”

OBN Jay is one of those artists that is a true renaissance man in hip-hop. Particularly though, he is quite the lyricist, an art form many say is fading from the contemporary rap scene.

“He’s a lyricist, who is a standout in the South where more people have a melodic presentation. Almost indicative of NY Style,” says manager Quayshawn.

“He reminds me of a conversationalist. Like a Jay-Z demeanor to his approach to what he writes about. Much more conversational than artists who are more focused on a punchline and sounding good.”

This creative flair is coupled with a much-respected work ethic that Quayshawn immediately saw in OBN Jay.

“I’ve been a part of legendary moments in music history, I can take an artist that doesn’t have much talent but has the work ethic and make them a star. The opposite, not much we can do,” said Quayshawn.

Shirt: EZR Brand | Shorts: Rick Owens | Shoe: Lanvin | Socks: Nike | Jewelry: OBN JAY’S OWN

“One thing I liked about Jay was he had an incredible work ethic. When we had our first conversation, it went very well. I flew down to Baton Rouge and stayed for a weekend. By the time the weekend was over, we were manager and artist. I was impressed that he had a studio in his house and was constantly thinking about how to become better.”

He noted that most artists he had worked with or seen come up didn’t have that same mindset from the jump, thinking of not only the creative, but the business side of his work.

“He’s one of maybe three newer artists that [I’ve worked with that] had this ethic,” Quayshawn added.

And that work ethic translates to his output. OBN Jay has hundreds of songs (430 to be exact) in the vault, having never seen the light of day (yet). 24 folders, roughly 18 songs each. Essentially, 24 albums worth of music. On one 3-day trip to Miami, OBN made 15 songs. Yes, an album’s worth of music.

Shirt: Casablanca | Pants: YVX | Sneaker: Balenciaga | Socks: Nike | Jewelry: OBN |JAY’S OWN | Store: Origins NYC

With all of this output, what’s next for OBN Jay? What’s his role in the vast hip-hop industry?

Collabs with everybody from Lil Baby to SZA are on the wishlist, but next on the docket is the Lil Rocket Project, slated for July 2024 with features from Dej Loaf and Huncho. The 16-song project is, in OBN Jay’s words, a variety of styles to show his versatility as an artist.

Shirt: NAHMIAS | Pants: Helmut Lang | Shoes: Off-White | Socks: Nike | Jewelry: OBN JAY’S OWN

“I’m focused on putting more projects out,” OBN said.

“I want to do real tours, festivals, going overseas, being global, being an artist all over the world. I want platinum plaques, VMAs, BET [Awards]. Small ones, big ones. Best song of the year, everything!”

Shirt: Balenciaga | Pants: Ghetto Friends | Sneaker: Alexander McQueen | Socks: Nike | Jewelry: OBN JAY’S OWN | Store: Origins NYC

Shirt: Jacquemus | Jacket & Pants: Who Decides War | Sneaker: Off-White | Socks: Nike | Jewelry: OBN JAY’S OWN

His next full project, the much-anticipated Lil Rocket Project, is set to drop in July 2024. Juce Magazine has already heard a bit, and yes, it’s the real deal, and then some!

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From a very young age, OBN Jay became fascinated by rapping and writing his own rhymes.

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