Jay E

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Jay E
Jay E.jpg
Epperson in 2018
Background information
Birth nameJason Lee Epperson
Born (1978-08-13) August 13, 1978 (age 45)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Genres Hip hop, pop, R&B
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • songwriter
  • disc jockey
  • videographer
Instrument(s)MPC 3000, synthesizers, samplers
Years active1997–present

Jason Lee Epperson (born August 13, 1978) is an American record producer and DJ from St. Louis, Missouri. He first became known as the primary producer of hometown native Nelly's 2000 debut album Country Grammar , which received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Thereafter, he produced extensively for Nelly and his collaborators, and signed to his record label, Derrty Entertainment as in-house talent. He has since produced songs for other artists including Murphy Lee, St. Lunatics, Justin Timberlake, E-40, Cedric the Entertainer, Lil Wayne, Ron Isley, Three 6 Mafia, and Hilary Duff. Epperson's style is characterized by hip hop mixed with soul, R&B, and pop music. Billboard magazine, in its December 2000 issue, listed Epperson at number 16 on its "Top 100 Producers" list, as well as number 19 on its "Top 100 R&B/Hip Hop Producers of 2000" list. He has received a Grammy Award nomination. [1]

Contents

Early life

Jason Epperson was born on August 13, 1978, the first child of three. His mother was a stay-at-home mom. In the early '90s, he attended St. Charles West High School. He first took an interest in musical instruments at the age of 14, learning piano and light guitar. Having had an interest in becoming a DJ, he purchased his first turntable at the age of 15. It was an off-brand turntable and his first record was by KRS-One. He would go on to work and perfect his craft as a DJ. Some of his early influences were DJs such as Kid Capri and Jam Master Jay. Thereafter, he focused on his social life and entertainment for the remainder of his high school years. Jay would DJ for local house parties and would later land a job at a local St. Louis roller skating rink. His first shot at production was in Saints Studio in 1996; this is where he met future St. Lunatics member Ali who introduced him to the St. Lunatics.

Music career

1998: First release: Who's the Boss EP

The first release by the St. Lunatics was the 1997 single "Gimme What U Got", which was produced by Epperson and became the group's first local hit. The independent release brought forth a buzz which pushed Epperson to further continue his work with the group. The album of which it initially preceded, Who’s the Boss was eventually released as an extended play in 2004, originally intended for a release during the same year as the single. Epperson produced the EP in its entirety. [2]

2000: Country Grammar, Bait and The Original Kings of Comedy soundtracks, Rasheeda

While working at the roller rink as a DJ and with the St. Lunatics, Epperson began to develop a unique style of production. His first major placement was on St. Lunatic's member Nelly's first solo album, Country Grammar . It was released on June 27, 2000, by Universal Records. The production on the album was mainly handled by Epperson, with additional production by his company, Basement Beats, as well as C-Love, Kevin Law, City Spud, and Steve "Blast" Wills. The album brought forth a distinctive St. Louis Midwest swing. It supported four successful singles: "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)", "E.I.", "Ride wit Me" and "Batter Up". Its lead single, "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)", peaked at number 7 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. "E.I." charted at number 16, number 12 and number 11 on the Hot 100, UK Singles Chart and ARIA Singles Chart, respectively. "Ride wit Me" peaked within the top five on the Hot 100, ARIA Singles Chart, Irish Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart.

Country Grammar received positive reviews and commercial success. It was at the top of the US Billboard 200 chart for five consecutive weeks and the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for six consecutive weeks. It also peaked in the top five on the New Zealand Albums Chart and Australian Albums Chart as well as the top ten on the Canadian Albums Chart and Dutch Albums Chart. The album was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) and Music Canada (MC), denoting shipments of 45,000 and 300,000 copies.

In 2016, it became the ninth hip hop album to becomr certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), [3] denoting shipment of 10 million copies in the US. The success of this album made Epperson one of the top producers at the time. The songs "Ride with Me" and "Country Grammar" would receive Grammy Award nominations. [4]

The song "Icey" featuring Nelly and the St. Lunatics was featured on the soundtrack to Bait , a 2000 action-comedy film. It was released on September 12, 2000, by Warner Bros. Records and featured a blend of hip hop and R&B music. The soundtrack reached #49 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

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The song "Summer in the City" features the St. Lunatics and Nelly on the soundtrack to the 2000 film The Original Kings of Comedy , released on August 22, 2000, through Universal Records. It mainly consisted of performances by the film's four stars, Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley, but five original music tracks also appeared. The soundtrack peaked at 50 on the Billboard 200 and 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

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Dirty South is the debut solo album by Rasheeda. The album was released in late March 2001 and peaked at number 77 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. [5] The track titled "ATL NO 2" was produced by Epperson.

2001: Osmosis Jones soundtrack and Free City

Osmosis Jones: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the 2001 film released on August 7, 2001, through Atlantic Records consisting of hip hop and contemporary R&B. Jay E produced the track "Summer in the City".

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Jay E co-produced Free City , an album which was dedicated for the release of St. Lunatics member, City. The album would debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA a month later. The album would open up many doors for his new style of production.

2002: O-Town, Nellyville, Heavy Starch

O2 is the second studio album by American boy band O-Town, following the success of their triple-platinum self-titled debut album. O2 peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200. The song "Favorite Girl" was produced by Jay E. The album charted on the U.S. Billboard 200. [6]

With the success of the first two albums, Jay E would begin working on Nelly's second solo album, Nellyville . It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and the indie label Fo' Reel. The album includes production by Jay E, while additional production was provided by The Neptunes and Just Blaze. Nellyville peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 selling 715,000 copies in its opening week. The album stayed atop the chart for four non-consecutive weeks and became certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over six million copies, making this Jay E's second number-one album, second multi-platinum album, and second top ten in the United States. Internationally, Nellyville peaked at number 2 in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. As of March 16, 2011, the album had sold 6,488,000 copies in the United States, and it became the fourteenth best-selling rap album of all time.

Nellyville received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 70, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews.” The album was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Hip/Hop/R&B Album and was ranked third on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts.

The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 715,000 copies and outperforming Country Grammar (2000), which debuted at number 3 selling 235,000 copies. Within two weeks of its release, Nellyville remained atop the Billboard 200, selling 450,000 and 340,000 copies, respectively. The album surpassed 1.5 million copies in sales in its third week. In its fourth week, Nellyville was replaced atop the chart by Dave Matthews Band's Busted Stuff . The former album was positioned at #2 on the Billboard 200, with its sales decreasing to 305,000 copies. In the fifth week, it sold 271,000 copies, dropping from #2 to #3. On March 16, 2011, the album had sold 6,488,000 copies in the United States, becoming the fourteenth best-selling rap album of all time.

Nellyville debuted and peaked at #2 on UK Albums Chart on the week of July 13, 2002, remaining on the chart for 40 weeks. On July 1, 2002, the album was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for shipments of 600,000 copies. On the Australian Albums Chart, it debuted and peaked at #2 for two weeks, staying within the top 10 for sixteen non-consecutive weeks. The album dropped off the chart after 31 weeks, and was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 210,000 copies. Nellyville also peaked at #2 on the New Zealand Albums Chart, Canadian Albums Chart and German Albums Chart. It remained on the chart in New Zealand for 30 weeks, in Canada for eighteen weeks and in Germany for 33 weeks. It was certified double and quadruple platinum by Recorded Music NZ and Music Canada. The album was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI). Nellyville also achieved success in several other territories, peaking within the top ten in Ireland. It was certified Gold by IFPI and certified platinum by IFPI Switzerland for shipments of 15,000 and 40,000 copies, respectively. The album reached number 11 in Sweden and #25 in Belgium (Wallonia) and France. The Swedish Recording Industry Association (GLF) awarded the album a gold certification, for shipments of over 30,000 copies.

Members of the St. Lunatics would begin to work on solo albums, on which they would utilize the production of their producer, Jay E. The album Heavy Starch by Ali would peak at #24 on the Billboard 200 and #7 on the Top Hip Hop/R&B Albums chart.

2003: Murphy's Law

Murphy Lee would release his debut album Murphy's Law on September 23, 2003. It peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold on November 17, 2003. It featured the single from the Bad Boys II soundtrack, "Shake Your Tailfeather" (with Nelly and P. Diddy).

2005: Coach Carter soundtrack and Sweat/Suit

Coach Carter: Music from the Motion Picture is the official soundtrack to the 2005 basketball film Coach Carter , released on January 11, 2005, under Capitol Records. It featured the track "Time", produced by Jay E and performed by St. Lunatics and Avery Storm.

Sweat is the third album by Nelly, intended to be released on August 17, 2004, before being delayed and released on September 13, 2004, by Universal Records. Production was handled by several producers, including Jay E, Midi Mafia, The Neptunes, Trife, Jazze Pha, Doe and The Alchemist. Released in conjunction with Suit , Nelly intended to release a single album before conceptualizing and releasing two albums simultaneously, both which would contrast each other's themes. Nelly characterized Sweat as "more uptempo" and "energetic" while describing Suit as more of "a grown-up and sexy vibe [...] more melodic".

2007: The Real Testament

The Real Testament is the major-label debut album by rapper Plies. It was released on August 7, 2007, and the album was well received by music critics. The song "You" featuring Tank, was produced by Jay E.

AllMusic editor David Jeffries said that the album had a few "redundant tracks and some potential unreached", but praised both studio and street tracks being supported by capable producers and guest artists throughout. He concluding with, "An energetic artist with little refinement, Plies puts his rough edges to good use on 'The Real Testament', an exciting, sometimes promising, debut." [7] Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews spoke about the record: "In lesser hands this would have been one of a hundred no-name rap albums that end up in your local store's bargain bin but thanks to good beats and well-chosen singles in 'The Real Testament', Plies makes a favorable impression both on radio and his CD." [8]

The Real Testament sold 96,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200. [9] The following week, the album dropped seven spots to number nine. [10] In its third week, the album sold 27,000 copies, dropping from number 9 to 21. As of June 1, 2008, The Real Testament had been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. [11]

2008: Randy Jackson's Music Club, Vol. 1 and Greatest Remixes

Jay E would team up with Randy Jackson on Music Club, Vol. 1 , on the track "Just Walk on By", featuring Joss Stone. This was the debut studio album by Jackson, released on March 11, 2008.

Greatest Remixes is a greatest hits compilation album of dance remixes of the original songs by Good Charlotte, with co-production by Jay E. The compilation was released on November 25, 2008. The track listing includes songs from all four Good Charlotte studio albums and three unreleased songs, "Anxiety", "Fight Song" (remixed by Jay) and "War".

Other ventures

He is a co-founder of the production team Basement Beats.

Discography

Albums credits

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelly</span> American rapper (born 1974)

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics. He signed with Universal Records in 1999 as a solo act to release his debut studio album, Country Grammar (2000) in June of the following year. Its namesake lead single and follow-up, "Ride wit Me" both entered the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked atop the Billboard 200 and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Nellyville (2002) spawned two consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles, "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma", along with the top-five single, "Air Force Ones".

<i>Country Grammar</i> 2000 studio album by Nelly

Country Grammar is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 27, 2000, by Universal Records. The production on the album was handled by Jason "Jay E" Epperson, with additional production by C-Love, Kevin Law, City Spud, Steve "Blast" Wills and Basement Beats. Nelly contributed to all lyrics on the album, with Epperson and City Spud also contributing. With the album’s release, Nelly and his “St. Lunatics” crew cemented the St. Louis sound firmly amongst other southern hip hop artists in the year 2000, such as Juvenile, Trina, Ludacris, OutKast, Three 6 Mafia and UGK. Country Grammar also introduced the world to Nelly's unique musical style of pop-rap and radio “singalongs” with a Missouri twang. It was supported by four successful singles: "Country Grammar ", "E.I.", "Ride wit Me" and "Batter Up". Its lead single, "Country Grammar ", peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. Its second single "E.I." peaked at number 16 on the Hot 100, number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the ARIA Singles Chart. "Ride wit Me" peaked within the top five on the Hot 100, ARIA Singles Chart, Irish Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart. The album's fourth and final single, "Batter Up" featuring St. Lunatics members Murphy Lee and Ali, achieved moderate chart success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jermaine Dupri</span> American record producer, rapper, and songwriter (born 1972)

Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Raised in Atlanta, he began his musical career at the age of nine, as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin. In 1991, he discovered the teen hip hop duo Kris Kross. Dupri wrote and produced their breakout 1992 single "Jump," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label, So So Def Recordings in a joint venture with Columbia the following year.

St. Lunatics were an American hip hop group formed in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1993. The group consisted of childhood friends Nelly, Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan, City Spud, and Slo Down.

<i>Nellyville</i> 2002 studio album by Nelly

Nellyville is the second studio album by American rapper and singer Nelly. It was released on June 25, 2002, by Universal Records and Fo' Reel Entertainment. The album's production was handled by Waiel Yaghnam, the Neptunes, Jay E, Trackboyz, Ryan Bowser, and Just Blaze. Two singles from Nellyville, "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma", both topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for respectively seven and ten weeks. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who praised the production.

<i>Suit</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Nelly

Suit is the fourth studio album by American rapper Nelly. It was intended to be released on August 17, 2004, before being delayed and released on September 13, 2004, by Universal Records. Production for the album was handled by several producers, including the Neptunes, Jazze Pha, Doe, AHM, Jayson "Koko" Bridges, Kuya Productions, Soulshock and Karlin, Ryan Bowser, Big Boi and Beat Bullies. Released in conjunction with Sweat, Nelly intended to release a single album before conceptualizing and releasing two albums simultaneously, both of which would contrast each other's themes. Nelly characterized Sweat as "more up-tempo" and "energetic" while describing Suit as more of "a grown-up and sexy vibe [...] it's more melodic".

<i>Ill Na Na</i> Album by Foxy Brown

Ill Na Na is the debut studio album by American rapper Foxy Brown. It was released on November 19, 1996, by Def Jam Recordings. It was reissued on September 29, 1997, in the UK with an addition of the song "Big Bad Mamma". Brown began working on the album after being discovered by the production team Trackmasters and appearing on a number of singles by other artists, such as LL Cool J, Case and Jay Z. The immediate success of the singles led to a bidding war at the beginning of 1996, and in March, Def Jam Recordings won and signed the then 17-year-old rapper to the label. Mostly produced by Trackmasters, Ill Na Na features guest appearances from Blackstreet, Havoc, Method Man, Kid Capri and Jay Z. Lyrically, the album mainly focuses on themes of fashion, sex and mafia.

<i>Sweat</i> (Nelly album) 2004 studio album by Nelly

Sweat is the third studio album by American rapper Nelly. It was intended to be released on August 17, 2004, before being delayed and released on September 13, 2004, by Universal Records. Production was handled by several producers, including Jason "Jay E" Epperson, Midi Mafia, The Neptunes, Trife, Jazze Pha, Doe and the Alchemist. Released in conjunction with Suit, Nelly intended to release a single album before conceptualizing and releasing two albums simultaneously, both which would contrast each other's themes. Nelly characterized Sweat as "more up-tempo" and "energetic" while describing Suit as more of "a grown-up and sexy vibe [...] it's more melodic".

<i>Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention</i> 2003 remix album by Nelly

Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention is a remix album by American rapper Nelly, released on November 25, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E.I. (song)</span> 2000 song by Nelly

"E.I." is a song by American rapper Nelly. Released as the second single on October 17, 2000, from his debut album Country Grammar, it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and 16 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. A remix of the song, called "Tip Drill", was released in 2003 along with lyrics and a music video that drew controversy for its misogynistic themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Country Grammar (Hot Shit)</span> 2000 single by Nelly

"Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" (also known as "Country Grammar (Hot...)") is the debut single of American rapper Nelly. The song was written by Nelly and Jason "Jay E" Epperson, who also produced the track. Released on February 29, 2000, as the lead single from Nelly's 2000 debut album, Country Grammar, the single peaked at number seven in both the United States and the United Kingdom and reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands.

<i>Ghetto Fabolous</i> 2001 studio album by Fabolous

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<i>Sweatsuit</i> (album) 2005 compilation album by Nelly

Sweatsuit is a compilation album by American rapper Nelly, released on November 22, 2005. The album consists of tracks from his 2004 simultaneous album releases, Sweat and Suit. The US edition of the compilation also includes four extra tracks, including the single "Grillz" featuring rappers Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp, which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; along with The Notorious B.I.G. single "Nasty Girl", "Tired" featuring Avery Storm, and "Fly Away" from the soundtrack of the 2005 film The Longest Yard.

<i>Murphys Law</i> (Murphy Lee album) 2003 studio album by Murphy Lee

Murphy's Law is the debut album by St. Louis rapper Murphy Lee. On October 11, 2003 the album peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 music chart. It was released on September 23, 2003 and was certified gold on November 17, 2003. It featured the single from the Bad Boys II Soundtrack "Shake Your Tailfeather". Its first official single was "Wat Da Hook Gon Be", which peaked at #17 in the U.S. pop charts, followed by "Luv Me Baby" and " Hold Up".

<i>Superhero</i> (Brian McKnight album) 2001 studio album by Brian McKnight

Superhero is the sixth album by American singer Brian McKnight. It was first released by Motown Records on August 28, 2001 in the United States. McKnight recorded this album to showcase his many musical influences and give listeners a glimpse into the past year of his life. Superhero mixes McKnight's usual contemporary R&B style with a touch of rock and roll and rap music. McKnight worked with a variety of producers on the album, including Battlecat, Bill Meyers, Anthony Nance, Steve Thompson, and Lavel "City Spud" Webb. Featured guest vocalists were Justin Timberlake, Nate Dogg, Fred Hammond, and hip hop group St. Lunatics.

<i>Its Real</i> (K-Ci & JoJo album) 1999 studio album by K-Ci & JoJo

It's Real is the second studio album by American R&B duo and brothers K-Ci & JoJo, released on June 22, 1999 on MCA Records. Recording sessions took place from 1998–1999. The album peaked within the top 10 on the US Billboard 200 as well as Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. On July 26, 1999, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 1,000,000 copies in the United States. It also appeared on international charts, and was certified gold by Music Canada. Upon release, It's Real received average reviews. The album would spawn four singles including the number-two hit single "Tell Me It's Real".

<i>The Real Testament</i> 2007 studio album by Plies

The Real Testament is the major-label debut album by rapper Plies. It was released on August 7, 2007. Upon its release, the album was well received by music critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelly discography</span>

American rapper and singer Nelly has released eight studio albums, two compilation albums, one remix album, three extended plays, two mixtapes, 49 singles, three promotional singles and 48 music videos. He was also a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics, which included fellow rappers Ali, City Spud, Murphy Lee, and Kyjuan. Nelly has sold a total of 21,815,000 albums in the US as of June 2014, making him the fourth bestselling rap artist in the country.

<i>Free City</i> (album) 2001 studio album by St. Lunatics

Free City is the only studio album by hip-hop group St. Lunatics. It was released on June 5, 2001, almost a full year after the release of group member Nelly's debut, Country Grammar. The album was a commercial success as it debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 with 196,000 copies sold in its first week. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA a month later.

<i>State Property</i> (soundtrack) 2002 studio album/soundtrack by State Property

State Property is the soundtrack to the 2002 film, State Property, as well as the debut album by the rap group, State Property. Selling 51,500 copies in its first week, the album was a success, making it to 14 on the Billboard 200, 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and 2 on the Top Soundtracks, and spawned one single "Roc the Mic", which was a minor hit, making it to 55 on the Billboard Hot 100. The remix to "Roc The Mic" features St. Louis rappers Nelly & Murphy Lee of the St. Lunatics and was included on rapper Nelly's 2002 album, "Nellyville" as a radio-only single.

References

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