Up next in 10
Step into the world of Bay Area hip-hop with JWalt as he joins "Sway In The Morning" on Sway's Universe to share his remarkable journey. From his humble beginnings in Oakland to redefining the sound of Bay Area hip-hop, JWalt is breaking barriers and making waves. In this exclusive interview, he reflects on his artistic evolution, his standout performances alongside legends like Nas and Common, and how his new project, "Every Version of Me," is resonating with fans worldwide.
JWalt opens up about attending his first Grammys, his chart-topping track "Love Myself," and the personal journey that inspired its powerful message on mental health and self-love. He also discusses his impact on the music scene, collaborating with ESPN for NBA Countdown, and his upcoming performances at major events, including the Oakland Marathon and a Super Bowl party with P-Lo. With heartfelt insights into fatherhood and his commitment to authenticity, JWalt inspires artists and audiences alike.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation that celebrates the diversity of Bay Area hip-hop and highlights JWalt’s incredible contributions. Make sure to subscribe for more exclusive interviews, freestyles, and stories from the world of hip-hop and social change, only on Sway’s Universe. Don’t miss this!
#jaywalt #bayareahip-hop #sway'suniverse #bayareaartists #grammyconsideration
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Journey To The Grammys
03:20 - Sound & The Bay Area’s Influence
05:40 - Do Lists Really Matter
11:41 - Love Myself
15:12 - What's Changed Since Last Time
15:51 - Being A Father
17:57 - First Time Fatherhood
24:05 - JWalt Freestyles for Bow Wow
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0:00
I love this young man citizen especially
0:02
from Northern California. [applause]
0:05
>> Anybody anybody who has a dream,
0:09
uh this young man's story is a journey
0:12
that I think you should tune in to
0:15
because I watched him
0:18
from the age of eight.
0:20
>> Wow.
0:21
>> Really find his passion. HB he found his
0:24
purpose
0:25
>> and that was to be through art at that
0:28
time through poetry um to be a beacon of
0:30
light. His music, his poetry, all of
0:33
those things uh represented something
0:35
that was of a positive nature. You know,
0:37
I remember when he first came on our
0:39
show and did um it came on the um Sway
0:41
in the morning show. I remember when he
0:43
did the Doomsday Cipher.
0:44
>> Y [laughter]
0:46
>> one of the youngest to ever do the
0:49
Doomsday Cipher. I watched this man
0:51
headline at so in New York City being
0:54
from Oakland where he's from.
0:56
>> Right.
0:57
>> That's a gigantic feat. I watched that
1:00
man also u headline his own show in
1:03
Brooklyn.
1:04
>> Wow.
1:04
>> And watch people from New York come to
1:07
see the young man from Oakland who at
1:08
that time was an NYU student um perform.
1:12
I've seen him with the likes of Common.
1:15
I've seen him with the likes of KRS1.
1:18
I've seen him with the likes of
1:20
everybody, right?
1:21
>> He done stepped out of that box that,
1:23
you know, he stepped out of his comfort
1:25
zone in Northern California and start
1:27
really pollinating his seed. I've seen
1:29
this man be consider have Grammy
1:32
consideration, right? I know that this
1:34
man has activities surrounding the Super
1:37
Bowl.
1:38
>> His name is Jay Walt. If you don't know,
1:41
you should know. Out of Oakland,
1:43
California. So, anytime y'all have a
1:45
roundt discussion about Bay Area artists
1:47
that are on the rise, make sure that
1:50
y'all mention Jay Walt. Jay Walt is
1:53
here. Give it up for Jay Walt.
1:54
>> W A L T J Walt.
1:57
>> Yo yo love, love, man.
1:58
>> Yo, Jay Walt got the new uh project,
2:01
every version of me. You here for the
2:03
Grammys. This your first Grammys?
2:05
>> My first Grammys. Yeah, I'm I'm super
2:07
excited. You know what I'm saying? Got
2:08
the invitation like a couple months ago
2:10
and it was only right to come out, man.
2:12
So busy week, Grammy week, you know, um
2:14
got a, you know, packed schedule, but
2:16
you know, I'm happy to be here and I'm
2:18
happy to attend my first Grammys, you
2:20
know.
2:20
>> All right, man. I I appreciate that.
2:21
Every version of me is the uh project.
2:24
>> I'm mentioning all these things and I'm
2:26
not mentioning everything, you know. I'm
2:27
not mentioning that um
2:29
>> Jay Walt had a track on ESPN's NBA
2:32
Countdown,
2:33
>> The [screaming] Kid. Mhm.
2:35
>> Uh I'm not mentioning that that Love My
2:38
Love Myself song off of his off of his
2:42
album, Every Virgin of Me, the first
2:43
song to chart in the top 100.
2:46
>> But he's he's charting in the top 100.
2:51
>> Huge.
2:52
>> I didn't mention that he's co-hosting
2:53
the Super Bowl watch party in Oakland
2:55
with Pilo.
2:56
>> Hey,
2:57
>> I didn't mention he's performing with 50
2:59
Cent Neo and Flow Rider March 1st at the
3:01
Allegian Stadium for Mr. October
3:04
Foundation.
3:05
>> Hey,
3:06
I didn't.
3:07
>> Yes.
3:08
>> Wow. Okay.
3:09
>> I did mention that he's a feature
3:10
performer for the um Oakland Marathon
3:12
March 22nd.
3:13
>> Let's go.
3:14
>> You got all the dates, man.
3:15
>> Man, I know all of these things.
3:17
>> You got all the
3:18
>> I know all of these things. And and and
3:20
I and I'm I'm wondering what does it
3:22
take for the Bay Area to know all of
3:25
these things? Like I go to your events.
3:27
I watch them on on the platforms and I
3:29
see a big crowd of people. You
3:31
performing for the Ballers. you did the
3:32
theme song,
3:34
>> you know, but I just saw a round table
3:36
conversation
3:38
>> where your name wasn't mentioned.
3:39
>> Yeah. [laughter]
3:42
>> Yeah. Fact.
3:43
>> Yeah. A bunch of, you know, uh, you
3:46
know, uh, experts and and music, you
3:48
know, pillars in the Bay Area and they
3:50
had this conversation. Now, I'm not
3:52
faulting them,
3:53
>> right? Um, it's just what what do you
3:56
think that is? How can and other artists
4:00
in other markets could learn from this.
4:02
How do you make that connection with the
4:04
gatekeepers?
4:04
>> Yeah, and it's a trip, man, cuz uh you
4:06
know, I saw that podcast as well and all
4:09
those are like the big homies, you know
4:10
what I'm saying? Like everyone on there
4:12
has showed love to me. Came out to my
4:14
shows. I invited folks to come to my
4:15
shows and had studio sessions with some
4:17
of these folks and what not also see me
4:19
grow. Um so yeah, man, when I seen that,
4:21
it definitely, you know, I was okay.
4:23
like I I would shock myself, but I think
4:26
I you know from overall man I don't
4:28
necessarily make that stereotypical Bay
4:31
Area hip hop. I don't necessarily make
4:33
that stereotypical Bay Area sound. You
4:35
know, a lot of the folks that they
4:36
listed, you know, we're making, you
4:38
know, that Bay Area hy sound.
4:41
>> Um, you know, and I don't make that, you
4:43
know. I I do I do have songs like that,
4:45
you know, but again, my my sound is
4:47
wider than just the Bay Area, you know.
4:49
That's something that I really try to
4:50
make sure of that, you know, that like
4:51
the Bay Area is bigger than just this
4:52
one sound. Often times people forget
4:54
that, you know, we have folks like Green
4:56
Day from the Bay, you know what I'm
4:57
saying? Folks like Guap, you know what
4:59
I'm saying? Tony, Tony, Tony, all you
5:01
know, hieroglyphics, host of Mish, you
5:03
know what I'm saying? Gez,
5:04
>> 24 Ken, my guy, you know what I'm
5:06
saying?
5:07
>> Overcast, you know what I'm saying?
5:08
Michael Sneak, like there's a lot of
5:10
different other artists out out of the
5:11
Bay that don't make this one specific
5:13
type of sound. Um, you know, so often
5:16
times I feel like that often gets
5:17
overlooked. Um, but again, some of our
5:19
biggest players from the Bay don't
5:20
necessarily make that specific sound.
5:22
You know what I'm saying? So, when we
5:23
try to make it bigger than just the bay
5:25
and regional,
5:27
>> that regional sound is bigger than just
5:28
the bay, you know? So, I don't know. It
5:30
gets tricky, you know? I feel like when
5:32
you talk about who's the biggest in the
5:33
bay and whatnot, a lot of that sound is
5:35
like bay fixed. But if you're talking
5:37
about worldwide, like it's bigger than
5:39
just the bay, you know.
5:40
>> Okay. What do you think, Heather B? I
5:42
see you over there.
5:42
>> I know. I saw it.
5:43
>> You saw that face right there. Look at
5:45
that face. [laughter]
5:46
That face
5:48
>> because and every artist is different,
5:50
right? But I think as artists, we have
5:53
to ask ourselves what matters.
5:56
>> Do lists really matter.
6:00
>> Yeah.
6:01
>> Doesn't matter. And who is creating the
6:04
list?
6:05
>> That part.
6:06
>> So we know now in the world and I'm not
6:08
familiar with this. I'm not familiar
6:10
with the list. So, I'm just saying this
6:12
just as I'm speaking from an artist
6:14
perspective. If a group of my peers who
6:17
made music in my era um did a list of
6:23
or say let's say particularly female hip
6:25
hop and I mention my they mentioned my
6:28
name, I would respect it because I would
6:30
say, "Oh yeah, I did shows with so and
6:32
so or they were there and they
6:34
understand." But if a group of people
6:37
got together now and did a list of women
6:39
in hiphop or that they loved and
6:41
whatever and my name didn't come up
6:45
doesn't bother me. You may not know, you
6:48
may not be familiar. Maybe I wasn't
6:50
commercial enough or whatever. And but
6:52
at the end of it too, does it really
6:55
matter?
6:56
>> Like I still have to make music. I still
6:59
have to do what I love. I still have to
7:01
be obedient to whatever my purpose and
7:03
calling is. who's making these list and
7:05
what difference does it make in your
7:08
world as an artist, you know? And I
7:10
think we drive ourselves crazy
7:12
sometimes, you know, um
7:15
>> worrying about if we got mentioned or if
7:18
our name and and and these lists and
7:20
these different things. What's the real
7:22
currency in that, you know? Um, and I
7:24
think artists can hurt themselves
7:26
sometimes putting so much on that
7:28
because the list change, the people
7:30
change after a while, you know, it it
7:33
changes.
7:34
>> I I and and I agree with Heather um in
7:37
this particular case too. It it would
7:39
have been great to hear you mention
7:41
because of all of the work that you've
7:43
done. Yeah.
7:44
>> And I don't think it's because any of
7:46
the people in the round table don't know
7:47
you aren't familiar with the work. It
7:49
seemed like it might have been a slip of
7:50
mind or more so that than anything else.
7:54
>> And see, I I hear that for you, but
7:56
that's the danger that you actually we
7:58
learned from you cuz remember we we
8:00
remember the hot MC's list. We remember
8:02
that
8:03
>> if you're making a list, there can't be
8:05
a slip of mine.
8:06
>> Yeah.
8:07
>> These conversations need to take place
8:09
before you press record on the camera
8:11
and before you come with the debate and
8:13
back and forth. You have to do the
8:14
research and say, [clears throat] "Who
8:16
are the artists? Who's this? Who's
8:18
that?" and go over, yo, we looked at
8:20
everybody. We narrowed it down to You
8:22
just can't get on and press record and
8:24
say, "This is the list."
8:25
>> Well, I I tell you this, um um and I and
8:28
I I totally uh concur with you, Heather
8:31
B. But as I look at Jay Walt's uh resume
8:35
right now, I I you may not need a list.
8:39
>> You don't need to go.
8:41
>> You're making your own conversation,
8:43
right?
8:44
>> And in many ways, that what what Tech
8:46
and I had to do. Come on.
8:48
>> Cuz I see these same conversations and
8:50
they talk about Bay Area history and
8:51
they don't mention Sway and King.
8:53
>> Same [ __ ] happened and you sound it
8:56
sounds ridiculous to me and I know why
8:58
they don't mention it
8:59
>> cuz they don't really know. And you got
9:02
to really do the history and know the
9:04
nuance of what really what were those
9:07
key factors.
9:09
>> Of course it was. Of course it was
9:11
short. Of course it was E40. Of course
9:12
it was all
9:13
>> who was playing their music?
9:15
>> Who was programming it? who was playing
9:17
it first
9:20
[laughter]
9:21
who you know and a lot of folks talk
9:22
about the radio station but that radio
9:24
station catapulted all their the careers
9:27
right and so it's not a negative thing I
9:29
just think as we're having these
9:31
conversations we just have to broaden
9:33
our spectrum of information because to
9:36
your point uh artists like Dale the
9:38
funky homo sapien
9:39
>> come on
9:40
>> who was one of the early artists rappers
9:43
to get a a major label deal should be in
9:45
these convers conversations. I I've
9:47
heard hieroglyphics. It's a couple like,
9:51
you know, so and I just think but I'm
9:53
glad these conversations are happening.
9:55
So, salute to Rap and everybody who did
9:57
it.
9:57
>> My gosh.
9:58
>> Right. And um and I think more come from
10:00
it. Yeah.
10:01
>> And you see because I think Bay Area has
10:03
to talk about
10:04
>> we got to talk about what's going on.
10:06
>> If you're not talking about it, you
10:07
know, like who who who we got to because
10:08
there's a lot going on in the Bay. You
10:10
know what I'm saying? And again, just
10:11
like what you know, what Heather said,
10:13
you know, for me, like,
10:14
>> man, I feel I I don't need to be on a
10:16
list, too. You know what I'm saying? I
10:17
feel like I'm successful in my own
10:19
right. You know what I'm saying? I get
10:20
to do rap for a living. You know what
10:21
I'm saying? I get to do what I love. I
10:23
get to follow my dreams, live out my
10:25
dreams,
10:26
>> beautiful family, you know what I'm
10:27
saying? So, like I'm blessed. You know
10:28
what I'm saying? Um, so I feel good
10:30
overall. You know what I'm saying? Lists
10:31
are cool. Like Heather said, when when
10:32
your name is mentioned, it's dope. Like
10:34
this other platform, they did like a top
10:36
200 Bay Area icons list. Swang King
10:39
Techch was on there. Jaywalk was on
10:40
there a couple. So like they had a
10:42
couple dope like pillars on there, you
10:44
know what I'm saying? So like when the
10:45
lists are there, it's dope. You know
10:46
what I'm saying? It's cool. They even
10:47
had like our photos in a collage. It it
10:49
was cool when I got sent it to you. But
10:51
>> send me that. I didn't even know.
10:52
>> I swear to
10:53
>> I was on the list. [laughter]
10:58
>> You know, so like when like when you
10:59
when your name is on a list, it feels
11:01
good. It's cool, you know? But also at
11:02
the end of the day when you see stuff,
11:04
it's like, you know, like you know what
11:05
you did, you know? So you don't got to
11:06
>> be drawing up metrics yo and starting
11:09
conversations man a lot behind
11:12
>> it [laughter] can start messing up with
11:12
your head like man but I did da da ego
11:15
can come involved and sometimes when
11:16
that happens you got to check yourself
11:18
>> that's the part I I I concern that
11:21
that's my concern for artists because
11:23
you could get so wrapped up in that like
11:25
man why I'm not being recognized man I
11:27
put in all this work it'll mess with you
11:29
a little bit and you might not get yours
11:31
until 10 years from now we sit down with
11:33
people I didn't win my first Grammy till
11:35
I was 40 or this age or that age, you
11:37
know? Keep doing your work, man. Keep
11:39
doing your work. It'll it'll make sense
11:41
later.
11:42
>> Is that one of the reasons like we play
11:44
Love Myself, right? Um and and that that
11:47
that's a powerful song. It elevates
11:50
mental health in this song.
11:52
>> Um um mental exercises, things you can
11:55
do um to really balance your mental um
12:00
fortitude.
12:02
But you need songs like this sometimes
12:05
uh when in these moments where it's like
12:08
man how come how come that person didn't
12:11
recognize what I did you know how come
12:13
that organ organization didn't recognize
12:16
I what I did
12:17
>> but when you love yourself
12:20
>> you know like this song that you made
12:23
that supersedes anybody else's opinion
12:25
right
12:26
>> what made you make that song
12:28
>> man so at the time man I I wasn't wasn't
12:31
necessarily loving myself. You know what
12:33
I'm saying? I feel like I I started
12:34
writing it. It was like the last
12:35
semester of my senior year in college. I
12:38
was doing a lot. I was traveling while
12:40
still in school, trying to maintain
12:42
like, you know what I'm saying, that
12:44
artist life, that kind of like Hannah
12:45
Montana life of like school, but also
12:47
still traveling, doing work and whatnot.
12:49
Um, and I wasn't necessarily sleeping. I
12:51
wasn't eating right. I wasn't sleeping.
12:53
I was just all over the place. So, I
12:55
took a step back and I was like, man,
12:56
like I'm not necess I'm not really
12:58
loving myself. I'm not pouring into
12:59
myself. I'm not doing what I'm supposed
13:01
to be doing to take care of myself
13:02
fully, whether that's mentally,
13:04
physically, spiritually, emotionally,
13:06
everything. Um, so now I was I started
13:08
working on the album. I went to the
13:10
studio and I had and at first I wanted
13:12
to make like this club type of record
13:14
like banger type thing. I was like went
13:16
to the studio like man this is what we
13:17
going to do. But I sat down with the
13:18
producer and we just talked. We just had
13:20
this kind of like therapy session for a
13:22
while and we was talking about like kind
13:24
of like how we need to start loving
13:25
ourselves and how we're not pouring in
13:27
as much as we need to. And I just
13:29
started writing, you know, I started
13:30
writing. He started creating the beat,
13:32
making the beat. Um, and it's very
13:34
organic, you know. So that's how that
13:36
kind of song came about, you know, as a
13:37
reflection of like, man, I'm not pouring
13:39
into myself. I need to love myself and
13:41
these are the steps that I need to do.
13:43
Um, so yeah, man, it was therapeutic,
13:45
you know, sometimes I love that cuz, you
13:46
know, you can go to the studio and have
13:48
this expectation to do one thing, but if
13:50
it's not feeling right, if it's not
13:51
right, you can't force it, you know, and
13:53
that's um how I love to approach my
13:55
studio sessions. Um, yeah, man. Super
13:57
organic. Like I said, I put out the song
13:59
and it was one of my biggest songs. You
14:01
know what I'm saying?
14:02
>> Day. Proud of you, bro. I'm proud of
14:04
you. This man done shared stages with
14:06
Nas Wuang Clan, Common Black Thought.
14:10
>> Yeah.
14:10
>> And he's from Oakland.
14:12
>> Yeah.
14:12
>> What high school you went to?
14:13
>> Went to Oakland School for the Arts,
14:15
man. I say, man, you know what I'm
14:16
saying? We got leg we got there's a lot
14:18
of legendary folks, you know what I'm
14:19
saying? which I always say for my for my
14:21
big sis Kaani, Adrien Marcel, um and my
14:24
brother, rest in peace, Angus Cloud, um
14:27
Zenaia, you know, Jay Watt, you know
14:29
what I'm saying? Laya Mley, who's a
14:30
published author out of Oakland,
14:32
California. She's the youngest to be in
14:33
Opra's book club, you know what I'm
14:35
saying? So, there's a lot of pillars out
14:36
of Oakland and that came from that
14:38
school, man. So, I got to give a big
14:39
shout out to OSA.
14:40
>> Yeah, man. What was that?
14:43
>> Bill Bichc ain't getting the Hall of
14:44
Fame. [laughter]
14:46
>> What about that list?
14:47
>> That list, right? There you go. No,
14:49
shout out to
14:50
>> bad Super Bowls.
14:51
>> I know, right? [laughter] I I I will I
14:53
have to admit I'm a little biased when
14:54
it comes to Jay Walter. I've known him
14:56
since he was born and I executive
14:58
produced a couple projects, but but that
15:00
ain't what where this is coming from. I
15:01
just want us to be the best we could be,
15:03
>> you know. And listen, I'm not living in
15:05
the Bay, so nobody say nothing. But I go
15:08
back to the Bay all the time and y'all
15:09
see me and it's nothing for me to put
15:12
force in it when you said y'all see me.
15:13
You said y'all see me. A lot has changed
15:16
in your life since the last time you
15:18
were here.
15:19
>> Yeah.
15:20
>> Can are we able to in Well, not to the
15:22
camera, but can you introduce to us
15:24
>> the biggest accomplishment you ever
15:26
achieved in your life?
15:27
>> That's that's facts. Yeah, man. That's
15:29
facts, man. You know what I'm saying? We
15:30
know being fatherhood, man. You know
15:32
what I'm saying? Beautiful. FATHERHOOD.
15:34
[cheering]
15:34
>> JAD.
15:36
>> FATHERHOOD. Rap dad.
15:37
>> Rap dad. Rap dad.
15:39
>> You got to get you a rap dad. Okay.
15:40
[laughter]
15:42
[ __ ] dad. All right. Um [applause]
15:45
Can you say her name?
15:46
>> Yeah. Amira. Amira. Amir.
15:49
>> Beautiful name.
15:50
>> Amira Ray.
15:51
>> Yeah. Amir Ray.
15:52
>> Beautiful name. Um, in the middle you
15:55
you you're still in the genesis of your
15:57
career, but a lot of folks believe and
15:59
normally this is um people put the
16:02
stigma on women that you can't have a
16:04
baby
16:05
>> and be an artist at the same time,
16:07
right? And we know that's not true, you
16:09
know.
16:10
>> Uh but you made that decision too. Was
16:13
was everybody on board for that?
16:16
>> Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm I'm
16:18
saying Yeah. And um at first like it was
16:21
like a you know like okay like a I want
16:25
to say shocker but al first yeah I guess
16:27
it was a little shock. You know what I'm
16:28
saying? just because like I was in like
16:30
middle of my career um busy and whatnot
16:34
and then you know this happened this
16:36
beautiful you know news happened we
16:37
found out and at first it was kind of
16:39
like okay like people people a little
16:41
shocked and what not but then afterwards
16:43
it turned into excitement real quick you
16:45
know um yeah family really excited um
16:48
parents super involved and whatnot my
16:51
family my my my fiance you know what I'm
16:53
saying so it was a blessed to have a
16:56
village you know what I'm saying a part
16:57
of it and and support. You know what I'm
16:59
saying? So,
17:00
>> what's the hardest part about fatherhood
17:02
that shocked you the most?
17:04
>> I mean, right now it's just I mean the
17:05
the the sleeping right now, the newborn
17:08
sleep, you know, that that newborn sleep
17:10
ain't fun. You know, that's something
17:11
that I wasn't prepared for. I wasn't
17:13
ready for that waking up early, newborn
17:17
sleep to where they may wake up at 2:00,
17:19
3:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., you know what I'm
17:20
saying? Type stuff, you know, randomly,
17:23
>> you know what I'm saying? And just
17:24
having to comfort her. And right now,
17:25
you know, she's really she's really
17:27
attached to us. You know, she's very
17:28
much like once mommy, once daddy. Um,
17:32
and she just wants to be held all the
17:34
time. You know, I try to put her down in
17:35
the bassinet, try to put her down the
17:36
crib, she will wake up right away. You
17:39
know what I'm saying? Start screaming
17:40
when I So, you know, it's beautiful to
17:42
have that have that attachment, you
17:44
know. Um, but again, that the sleep
17:46
schedule, man, I wasn't I wasn't ready
17:48
for that.
17:48
>> You wasn't ready for that. Welcome to
17:50
life. [laughter]
17:51
>> Now, you appreciate your mom and dad a
17:53
lot more, huh?
17:54
>> For sure. I know you do. [laughter]
17:57
>> They don't play. Tracy, you want to dive
17:58
in?
17:59
>> Absolutely. Congratulations, my bro. Jay
18:01
Wall, it's always good to see you and
18:03
especially to hear from you, your
18:05
mindset, your approach to life, your
18:07
reminders that um our first and final
18:10
relationship is the relationship we have
18:12
with ourselves. And I feel like the most
18:14
important list is the tracklist when it
18:17
comes to an artist project. So with
18:20
every version of me and us, you know,
18:22
you're giving us an introduction to the
18:24
version of you right now, which includes
18:27
fatherhood. I'm interested in knowing if
18:30
being a father has helped you to
18:32
understand your own father in a
18:35
different way. Maybe something in the
18:38
past that is a memory where you're like,
18:39
I don't understand what this dude is
18:41
talking about or why he's moving in this
18:43
way. Do you have more clarity and
18:46
illumination around it?
18:48
>> Yeah, man. No, 100%. I mean, I feel
18:50
like, you know, my my dad had me and my
18:53
twin brother, like around the similar
18:55
age as me as well. So, my my parents,
18:56
they were young parents as well. So,
18:58
being able to learn from them has been
19:01
has been dope cuz I kind of grew up with
19:03
them as they were growing up and
19:04
learning parenthood as well, you know.
19:06
Um, so yeah, it makes sense. you know,
19:08
the way that when my dad had to work
19:10
overtime or had to do different things
19:12
or was like, you know, when they were
19:13
like super busy, you know, as a kid, you
19:16
know, I didn't really understand that
19:17
all the time, you know, but now like it
19:19
makes sense to me, you know, the
19:20
sacrifices that you have to make, you
19:22
know, the sacrifices that come with it.
19:24
And sometimes it's like, all right, you
19:25
know, I may have to do this, like, you
19:26
know, some days like I got a show, I got
19:28
to go here, or, you know, I'm saying, I
19:30
got to go to New York, go to LA.
19:32
Luckily, I was able to bring bring them
19:33
with me, you know what I'm saying, out
19:34
here, you know what I'm saying, for for
19:36
my Grammy week and whatnot. So, they can
19:37
be with me throughout throughout my
19:39
time, you know, as much as I can, at
19:40
least at the night time, you know what
19:41
I'm saying, while I'm busy doing other
19:43
stuff. So,
19:44
>> you know, it's a you know, it's a you
19:46
get learning how to navigate. I feel
19:48
like that's just the biggest thing, you
19:49
know, learning how to navigate um but
19:51
still learning how to still, you know,
19:53
put my family first at at the end of the
19:55
day while still trying to take care of.
19:57
>> Absolutely.
19:57
>> I love that, man. I love that, man. Jay
19:59
Waters here. 8887423345.
20:03
Jay uh Elliot from the Bay is on the
20:04
line. Elliot, what up?
20:06
>> WHAT IT DO?
20:07
>> HEY, what's up Sway? What's up Heather B
20:09
and everybody else in the studio.
20:11
>> Uh Jaywalk, man. I just wanted to give
20:14
you your props for the show you put on
20:16
at the Baller event at Prescott Market
20:18
after the championship,
20:20
>> man. Gratitude, man. I appreciate you.
20:23
>> Most definitely. You probably don't
20:25
remember us. It was so many people. But
20:27
uh yeah, I mean you was in the parade
20:30
and then you came over there and you
20:32
gave us a cool show and we we really
20:35
appreciate it. I had knew you from, you
20:38
know, some things around the bay, but
20:40
then just to see you in that element and
20:42
then the song that you made for the
20:44
ballers, man, I was like, look at him. I
20:47
was like, that's what's up, man.
20:49
>> Man, gratitude, man. I appreciate you,
20:51
man. I appreciate you. Come out this
20:53
next next next season. Yeah. All right.
20:55
Hey, Elliot season.
20:59
>> Appreciate you, Elliot. You You're a
21:01
super citizen is what I said, man.
21:03
>> Of swing in the morning.
21:04
>> Yeah, Jay Wall, man. I just wanted to
21:06
bring you on today. This is just a catch
21:08
up for us, but we going to have to do
21:09
this bigger and stronger next time. But,
21:12
um, I want to say I'm really proud of
21:14
you, you know, as I watch you evolve as
21:16
a a young lad to a young man. And, uh,
21:20
and I, you know, honest, I'm poking at
21:22
the folks from the Bay. I love
21:23
everybody, you I'm like big brother, you
21:25
know. Um, but I want folks to notice
21:27
everybody. [laughter]
21:29
>> Oh, you know some of the people at this
21:31
round table.
21:31
>> Everybody on the round table. Rab
21:33
moderated it.
21:35
>> OH, [laughter]
21:36
R, WHY YOU ain't call up? R
21:38
>> moderated.
21:40
We talked about it that day, you know.
21:43
We talked about it that day. But I just
21:45
think the kind of work you're doing is
21:46
expanding the perimeters of what the Bay
21:48
Area has to offer, you know.
21:51
at the same time rooted in what the Bay
21:53
Area is. Um, and one of the things that
21:56
Jay Walt has always been, Wait, hold on.
21:58
We got somebody on the line right now
22:00
for this next part. Uh, yo, who we got
22:03
on the line right now?
22:04
>> Who that?
22:06
>> Re.
22:07
>> Nah, [laughter] Should I answer that,
22:10
John? Is that Is that cool? Put Put up
22:12
our line.
22:12
>> Yeah,
22:13
>> he's probably on mute or something.
22:15
>> Somebody might be on mute. Okay,
22:16
>> he's on mute. Hey, D. Uh, uh, you there?
22:18
>> Oh, yeah. No, no, I'm here. I didn't
22:20
know if it I didn't know you was talking
22:21
to me.
22:22
>> We got We got Jaywald's dad manager.
22:25
>> Oh, what up D?
22:26
>> Hey man, Dwalt on the line. Dude,
22:31
>> Dad, get out. Uh, torch.
22:35
>> Dad, you know what I mean?
22:38
>> D, uh, congratulations on everything,
22:40
man. I just wanted to say, um, as his
22:41
manager, man, you guys are making big
22:43
strides right now. What's next,
22:46
>> man? Well, I mean, I kind of gave you
22:48
that quick highlight and you did a great
22:49
job sort of hitting that. I mean, Q1 is
22:52
is solid. You know, when we think about
22:54
everything, you know, we we sit down, we
22:56
talk, you know, we just sort of plan and
22:58
and I heard everything you were talking
23:00
about with the the growth of his his
23:02
family and everything. So, you know, we
23:04
have to take that into account as well,
23:06
you know, when kind of looking at, you
23:07
know, what we do and how we move. So, Q1
23:10
is pretty solid. You know, we got I'm
23:11
having some uh some meetings uh this
23:13
week. We're going to be uh connecting
23:15
doing a collab with uh Cal State East
23:17
Bay. Um you know, bringing uh Jay Wald
23:20
Artistry uh kind of talking about his
23:22
career journey there uh sometime uh
23:25
maybe spring, you know, springtime. And
23:27
man, we just looking forward to just
23:29
what's next. I mean, each each year is,
23:31
you know, one one of the things we say
23:33
is brick by brick. So each year, you
23:35
know, we we building. So, I'm glad I'm
23:37
glad the Grammy Association uh his peers
23:41
um are recognizing him, bringing him
23:43
into the fold, and I think it's only uh
23:45
only with God blessings. You know,
23:47
anything is we just up from here.
23:50
>> I love it, man. D you guys are doing a
23:52
great job representing the Bay to the
23:54
fullest. Um and we'll talk soon.
23:57
Congratulations to all that y'all have
23:58
going on. Give it up for DeWalt, the
24:00
manager.
24:02
>> All right. That's the family right
24:04
there. I wanted to do something
24:06
different because we got one of in my
24:08
opinion one of the greatest entertainers
24:10
ever come out of our culture right here
24:13
with some of the most prized accolades
24:16
in his journey. Uh we got the one and
24:19
only Shad Gregory Moss is here.
24:21
>> Absolutely.
24:23
>> God, we here
24:24
>> and I just wanted you to sit. This is
24:27
Jay Walt. He's from the Bay.
24:29
>> I love the Bay.
24:30
>> I know you do. Yo yo yo yo. I know you
24:32
love the Bay, man. I know you love the
24:34
bae what
24:35
>> and uh I just want he's going to spit
24:37
and I just want him to spit in front of
24:39
you cuz this is what you know when he
24:41
was bow wow this is he still is but this
24:43
is what he had to do.
24:44
>> He put me through it.
24:45
>> Come on, man. [laughter] I'm glad I'm
24:47
there. I'm in the hall now.
24:48
>> You good? You good now?
24:50
>> I get to just come through.
24:52
>> He put me through it.
24:53
>> You come through and just chop it up
24:54
with the big
24:55
>> Yeah, man. But I I just think Jay Waters
24:59
was a uh is a young artist, you know,
25:01
but um he started like you at an early
25:03
age and had to kind of carve his path
25:06
and find his niche. Luck fortunately,
25:08
you were able to hook up with Snoop and
25:09
and and that helped catapult your
25:11
career.
25:12
>> But as a young artist, you know, it's a
25:15
lot of just mental challenges, a lot of
25:18
unknown what's ahead of you that's in
25:20
front of you, right?
25:21
>> And so I wanted him to spit in front of
25:23
you, Mr. Moss. and just so he could show
25:26
and prove what he about. See, that's
25:28
what now you on that side of it, right?
25:31
[laughter]
25:32
>> They ain't going to tell Listen, they
25:33
ain't going to tell you where they
25:34
switching the beat on you. They ain't
25:35
going to do nothing. They just going,
25:36
you just got to be I ain't going to put
25:38
no pressure on you. Got this.
25:39
>> But and I want to I want to get your
25:40
feedback for them. Okay. But because to
25:42
me,
25:43
>> you should be doing master class series
25:47
on how to evolve and and as an artist,
25:50
>> um as a father, you know, right? Uh uh
25:54
and and and how to manage fame.
25:56
>> Absolutely.
25:57
>> And all of these different things. And
25:58
these some of the things I want to talk
25:59
to you about. And so, but Jay Wall,
26:02
>> you got the flow.
26:02
>> You got the flow.
26:04
>> You know what this is.
26:05
>> We a new to this, man. We
26:06
>> You ain't new to this, BUT WELCOME TO
26:07
THE VALLEY OF THE HYENAS.
26:09
>> YEAH. [screaming] YEAH.
26:11
>> YEAH.
26:12
>> All right. So, what we doing, man? Shout
26:14
out to JCole, man. It's a classic, baby.
26:16
>> Turn it up a little. Turn up a little
26:17
bit.
26:18
>> That's what you going to do, JCole.
26:20
>> Come on.
26:21
>> Yeah, man. Shout out Sway in the
26:23
morning, man. Ba, what up, man? Girl,
26:25
watching you, man. This is dope, man.
26:27
>> Shout out to the Bay, baby. You know
26:29
what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah.
26:33
Yeah. Yeah. Damn. Swag. What a journey.
26:36
Was 13, jumping [music] out the porch,
26:38
getting dirty. GR really mama's crib,
26:41
and now we here. You know what I'm
26:42
saying? Let me get it.
26:43
>> Come on.
26:44
>> Look, we back in style like V. Wearing
26:46
some baggy jeans and no hype beasts, but
26:48
ask around. They know we supreme. Tell
26:50
my partners, you ain't no mic jack. You
26:51
should quit the lean. [ __ ] love that
26:53
dirty Diana. Don't [ __ ] with Billy Jean.
26:55
Damn. Had to tell them [ __ ] to go and
26:57
beat it. Got me considered this [ __ ] is
26:59
different for many reasons. We is not
27:01
the same. I know my words. [music] I am
27:02
not conceited. Woman fell in love by the
27:04
way I look. Then I have to eat it. But
27:06
when I dig them coming, they really feel
27:08
it. Regular customers. [music] I put too
27:10
much trust in her. I seen all the
27:12
warning signs. No wonder I'm ducking
27:14
her. These [ __ ] can't [ __ ] with us.
27:15
Smoothie in my double cup. I've been on
27:17
my healthy [ __ ] I've been living
27:19
better, bro. I can't be on the same
27:20
[ __ ] Really had a lane switch. I ain't
27:22
been insane since I lost my brother
27:24
Angus. I keep my pinky up forever living
27:27
conversations. It's real time business,
27:29
homie. Even on vacation, you dig? Even
27:32
when I'm on vacation, man. Throw me
27:33
another one, man. You know what I'm
27:34
saying? You got another beat. You got
27:35
another beat, man. Let's go, man.
27:37
>> Let's go. We got another one, man. Man,
27:40
we just warming up, man. You know what
27:42
I'm saying? Just a little warm up.
27:44
>> See, Sh got him fired up now. He want to
27:46
do versions now. You see that?
27:48
I I I like that bar you said that the
27:50
>> turn turn this mic up, John. Turn that
27:52
the the bar with the mic jack with the
27:54
lean me. I close my eyes when I'm
27:56
listening. So I caught that. That was
27:57
That was
27:58
>> You caught that? Yeah. Yeah.
28:00
Dirty Diane. All that. You like that?
28:02
See if we get one more. You all right
28:04
with that? Come on, man.
28:05
>> Okay, cool, man. See, that's what I
28:08
>> Let him eat. A lot of folk a lot of
28:10
established artists don't make time for
28:12
artists on the rise, man. Let him eat.
28:14
>> And we need that bridge.
28:15
>> Come on. I've been before. I've seen
28:17
this happen with
28:19
>> We going to talk.
28:19
>> Okay, we going to talk. All right, cool.
28:21
>> I've been before where I been around
28:22
artists like right before they blew. And
28:24
I'm like, that's something that Snoop
28:25
always told me like, bro, you got to
28:27
>> on a come up. You got to just treat
28:28
everybody equal cuz you just never know
28:30
like in in a couple months he might, you
28:32
know what I'm saying?
28:33
>> And it's like,
28:35
[laughter] hey, that verse still going
28:36
to be, you know, $1,000, right?
28:40
Like, nah, nah, you got to catch him
28:42
early.
28:42
>> You might might get on that Boys for
28:43
Life tour. You might have to open that.
28:46
Throw him another one. You got another
28:47
one,
28:47
>> John.
28:51
DB
28:52
>> beat by DB.
28:55
>> Okay. You going to have to rock on this.
28:56
Okay.
28:57
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
29:01
Look, they said back, so we coming
29:04
straight to your mental with them ill
29:05
raps over them go dumb instrumentals.
29:07
Make them peel back. Revive going work
29:09
out your pencil. So tell them relax. We
29:11
back giving them something special. It's
29:12
for the culture. is what they need. They
29:14
said that raps are dying art until they
29:16
looked at me. Until they looked at weed,
29:18
the people who spinning the clean,
29:19
ripping and killing and feeling supreme.
29:20
I remember all the people that didn't
29:21
believe the ones that's on my team.
29:23
That's why I thank y'all for the love
29:24
and support. Real life gave me game on
29:26
and off of the court. Real time stay
29:28
groovy, [ __ ] Life too short. Be you.
29:30
Real rap. Going to carry [music] the
29:32
torch. I'm saying, huh, it's one life.
29:34
This is one love. Motivate my section.
29:37
We going to rise above. They going to
29:39
try to hate, but I don't give a [ __ ] I
29:40
keep it real. That's why they look I
29:42
chose growth over company. I went from
29:44
people who don't [ __ ] with me to people
29:46
who suddenly trying to [ __ ] with me. And
29:48
finally, everybody now trying to have
29:49
lunch with me. Especially [music]
29:50
shorties. They went from ducking me.
29:53
That's just how life works. Le trying to
29:54
get my words, but I heard the bigger you
29:56
get, the more it gets worse. Just
29:58
observe the I'm coming. This [ __ ] is
29:59
light work. I ain't even rapping. I'm
30:01
just rhyming [ __ ] with nice words. These
30:03
nerds trying to cop the flow. Gentrify
30:05
the game and tell these other rappers to
30:07
go. It said pop the [ __ ] you feel for
30:09
yourself. [music]
30:10
2026. You know we coming straight for
30:12
the gold. It's Jay.
30:13
>> Jay Walk.
30:13
>> Come on, man.
30:14
>> Oakland, stand up. Jay Walk. Bay Area,
30:16
stand up.
30:18
>> We here, baby.
30:19
>> Stand up.
30:20
>> Come on. Come on.
30:22
>> Shad Moss. What you think?
30:24
>> Oh, man. Hey, I'm rocking with him.
30:27
>> I told you I was listening. I'm
30:28
>> Cadence, the pockets, tone.
30:32
>> Yeah.
30:32
>> Yeah. Right.
30:33
>> I like I hear like the Cali in them, but
30:35
it's not like
30:37
>> like you barring like you barring. So
30:39
like I see like I hear the accent but
30:41
it's like
30:42
>> it's still disguising like the pockets.
30:43
You hitting you switch it up with the
30:45
double with the with the with the the
30:47
bone thug the double up.
30:48
>> I was like yeah he know what he doing.
30:50
He know he know what he doing. Okay.
30:52
Give it up for Jaywalk. Love you
30:53
brother. Congratulations man. Enjoy the
30:55
Grammys. Your first Grammys this
30:56
weekend.
30:57
>> Congratulations.
30:59
>> Damn. What you going to wear? You got
31:01
>> shout out my stylist man. You know what
31:02
I'm saying? Ammani King. She she put me
31:03
on a little something son. So y'all
31:05
going to see when we there man.
31:06
>> You got a stylist already. [laughter]
31:08
You hear that? You hear that, son? Hey.
31:10
Hey, Trevor is on the line. Who's this?
31:12
Trevor.
31:14
>> Hey. What's good? What's good? What's
31:15
good, J?
31:18
>> My little brother, baby.
31:19
>> Oh, there's a little brother's
31:19
[laughter] calling, man. Your dad call,
31:21
your little brother call. It looks like
31:22
a family reunion.
31:24
>> Light it up,
31:25
>> Trevor. How he sound?
31:27
>> Hey, you sound good. Just had to tap in
31:29
and see what he got.
31:32
[laughter]
31:34
>> All right, Trevor. Love you, nephew.
31:36
Good to hear your voice.
31:38
They send love and love.
31:40
>> All right, man. Super Citizen Jay Wal, I
31:42
appreciate you, man. Appreciate you,
31:44
>> man. And and continued success, man.
31:46
Tell them the name of the project.
31:47
>> Every version of me is out now. Okay
31:50
with it.
#Arts & Entertainment