Born in Nigeria, raised in the burbs of Atlanta, inspired by his old man and Steve Jobs to program computers, and downright deadly on the microphone, rapper, singer, and artist Daye Jack really made the most of his first 21 years. "I just want to do me and see what happens," he affirms. It's worked out so far... and today, he debuts his next project, "No Data" via Warner Bros. Records.
After relocating from Nigeria to Atlanta at the age of six, he split his time between playing soccer, slinging computer code, singing in choir, and listening to the likes of Eminem, OutKast, and 50 Cent. Achieving a Computer Science scholarship to NYU ("I want to be the black Steve Jobs," he grins), Daye traded the Big Peach for the Big Apple. During his freshmen year, he found inspiration in both the creative enclave of his classmates and the burgeoning movement of artists such as Chance the Rapper, Joey Bada$$, and Mac Miller.
In 2014, he cooked up his breakout mixtape Hello World during a winter break and uploaded it to the internet. Off the strength of the project, he signed his publishing to GRAMMY® Award-winning super producer Max Martin [Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake] and inked a deal with Warner Bros. Records-personally scouted by the legendary Mike Elizondo [Dr. Dre, Eminem]. Releasing 2015's Soul Glitch EP, he drummed up kudos and looks from Billboard, Pigeons & Planes, Pitchfork, XXL, and
Complex who touted him among "25 New Rappers to Watch Out For." Simultaneously, he collaborated with everyone from
Killer Mike ("Hands Up") to
Tori Kelly ("Expensive") and
Ariana Grande ("Sometimes") and joined packed tours alongside headliners as diverse as
Lukas Graham and Pell. Along the way, Daye worked on his next evolution, 2016's Surf The Web EP in Los Angeles.
Over snappy percussion and a synth twinge produced by Elizondo, he spits with grit and gusto before an infectious declaration on the chorus of his first single, "Raw" which was remixed by
Denzel Curry and Grim Dave. "We wanted to make something hardcore, straightforward, and rap," he goes on. "That's how we got 'Raw.' Lyrically, it's about doing you, being yourself, and going hard at it."
Accompanied by his A.I, Sam as his "HypeWoman," that message is one that carried throughout the album - from the take-no-bullsh*t attitude of "Bully Bully" to the inspiring "Casino" that reminds us to take a gamble on yourself, or the go-for-gold theme of "Finish Line" and the glitched out vibes of "Supernatural Remix ft. Donmonique" No Data is an empowering journey through glitchy synth and funky beats.
"I want to do something people haven't seen yet," Daye declares. "Being Daye" is going to make a lasting impact. "If you take one thing away from my music, it's that you should be yourself and do you at all points," he leaves off. "If I make it, I'd love to inspire some kid to be like, 'Damn, if I do me, I can be successful.'"
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