Singer Jaycen Bradley first caught the fever for performing while working at an outlet mall in St. Louis; “I would sing to pass time that got me a little bit of attention,” he fondly remembers. One person was feeling what he was doing was his associate Sleep EJ, whom–along with fellow local upstart Frost Money–he first broke into the game alongside. He later became a member of Frost’s Good Swag Ent. imprint, releasing tracks under the name JB Stevens. His most recent single, though, is the beginning of a new era for the rapper who considers himself to be more than just a ‘rapper,’ but an actual brand. His latest single, “GOA,” is the first drop from his upcoming mixtape Jaycen X, which he admittedly spent the better part of 2016 recording in between a slew of live performances. With over 70k YouTube views on the video–he seems he’s onto something.
The visual treatment starts with a sequence that is showing him working a mundane 9-5 before walking out–mid-transaction–exclaiming “I’m not supposed to be here.” Indeed, the record deals with numerous topics, ranging from the uncomfortable nature of diving headfirst in the unknown, the turbulent relations within his family and–without too many details–the degree of heart ships that have kept him out of the game for the past four years. Acknowledging the shortcomings of his last mixtape [“my last mixtape was trash, my people deserve better”] while also alluding to health issues by describing himself as wheelchair bound, he does a great deal to build up an intriguing backstory that makes us anxious to hear what he has cooked up for this mixtape.
The second single, “This One Is For The Cool,” is more of a ‘for the ladies’ vibe, with a slow vibe designed for cruising at a low speed through the city–or grinding with your jump-off.
Overall, he’s a versatile artist that doesn’t seem to specifically fall into one box–per say. His mixtape is dropping this year, and we’ll be on the lookout for it. Definitely, check out “GOA” and “This One Is For The Cool,” and stay woke on this dope new artist from out the Midwest.
