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West Coast rapper and hip hop legend, Jayo Felony, sat down with The Hip Hop Wizard of The Hooker and Mcadoo Podcast to discuss his favorite music, the current state of hip hop, and to share some of his new projects.
Raised in San Diego, California, he shared stories about his childhood and how living both in California and New York affected his musical tastes and his style. In 1994, Jayo Felony signed to the label owned by Jam Master Jay from RUN DMC called Jam Master Jay Records. That year, Jayo Felony released his debut album, Take a Ride. It was with the release of his 1998 follow-up album, Whatcha Gonna Do? on Def Jam, that took his career to another level. It featured a host of star-studded rappers such as Method Man, DMX, Mack 10, WC, Redman, Kokane, Ice Cube, E-40, and 8 Ball & MJG.
He gave the listeners a treat during the interview when he sang along with one of his first singles, “Sherm Stick,” which features a sample of the 1979 R&B song, “Come Go With Me,” by Teddy Pendergrass. “Sherm Stick” is featured in the Grand Theft Auto V video game.
“That’s a classic. That record went a long way,” he said.
Growing up in California fueled his interest in hip hop’s West coast influences like NWA, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and E-40, but he noted it was considered a sign of disrespect to emulate another rapper’s style.
“As a kid growing up, I remember me and my homies being into rap music. I was like a kid in a candy store. Back then, there were so many varieties and styles. Everybody had their own style. It wasn’t all the same type of sound, the same type of cadence or beat like we see today. Back then, it was about respect. If you came out sounding like someone else, you would be considered bitin’ someone’s shit,” he shared.
“I hear my cadence in certain things other rappers say. You gotta’ take it as flattery,” he added.
He also addressed “rap beef” and the East Coast vs West Coast debate of 90s hip hop, which Jayo Felony said was something he never let himself get caught up in. He quickly named artists from both coasts he grew up listening to that included: Audio Two, MC Lyte, Rakim, Tone Loc, Young MC, Too Short, E-40, The Bootcamp Clique, Poor Righteous Teachers, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, and LL Cool J.
“If you were dope, I was going to listen. A lot of that [rap beef] energy was the media. Death Row and Bad Boy had their beef was all that was about. As long as no one disrespected me, I was fine. I never got caught up in the politics,” he said.
“I think it was a fucked up situation for hip hop because it separated us a lot. At the end of the day, it was all the record labels and the magazines that benefited off of that.”
The seasoned rapper also has credits in the movie and film industry. He appeared in the 2005 movie, Tha EastSidaz alongside West Coast rappers, Snoop Dogg and Kurupt. His song, “Brothers and Sisters” was featured in the 1994 film Jason’s Lyric and appeared on the soundtrack. He can also be seen flexing his acting chops in the 2019 WorldStarHipHop mini-series, “Broken Ground,” where he also contributed 12 songs to the soundtrack. Each episode got over a million views online.
With a career in the music industry for more than two decades, he still believes in continuing to hone his craft.
“I don’t like waiting to write raps in the studio when I get there. I like to prepare. I’m a writer. I still write on paper. I think it takes away from the artistry to use a phone or tablet. I guarantee you that what you’re typing in your phone ain’t gon’ fuck with what I write on this paper,” he said.
Jayo Felony hasn’t let a national pandemic slow down his creativity. He recently completed a record with Drag-On, a rapper from the Ruff Ryders camp. He is currently promoting his new albums, Hood Invasion: Vol II, and In The Trenches under his own label, Loco Entertainment. Stay tuned for upcoming visuals for the following records, “Hug The Block,” “Run It” and “Get Your Feet Whooped.”
He is also preparing to do an anniversary release of his old music in 2021.
“I feel that all the shit I went through, has built me for this time now. I feel like I’m at my best right now,” he said.