Jay Versace

Last updated

Jay Versace
Birth nameJahlil Gunter
Born (1998-01-24) January 24, 1998 (age 26)
Origin Pleasantville, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
OccupationRecord producer
Years active2014–present

Jahlil Gunter [3] (born January 24, 1998), [4] known professionally as Jay Versace, is an American record producer and former Internet personality. [5] [6] He began posting comedy videos onto Vine as a teenager, and amassed over three million followers on the platform [7] [8] [9] before shifting focus onto a career in music production in 2018. [1] [10] He has since been credited on the Billboard 200-number one albums SOS (2022) by SZA [2] and Call Me If You Get Lost (2021) by Tyler, the Creator—both of which also won Grammy Awards. [11] His other work includes songs for Doja Cat, Lil Yachty, Boldy James, and Westside Gunn. [3]

Contents

Early life

Versace is from Pleasantville, New Jersey. [12] [13] His moniker was inspired by a Vine video in which American rapper Riff Raff feeds his dog "Versace water from the fountain of life". [9]

Career

2014–2017: Social media career

In 2014, Versace began making comedic videos onto the video-sharing platform Vine, usually involving reenactments of certain scenarios involving his family members, friends, and entertainers. [9] His work was also noted to involve the amplification of the spirituality, creativity, and mental health of black people. [1] [14] He relocated to Los Angeles in 2016 at the age of 18. [7] He was nominated for Viner of the Year at the 8th Shorty Awards. [15] Versace had amassed over three million followers and two billion total views on Vine before the platform was discontinued in January 2017. [7] [5] Thereafter, he turned to other social media platforms, amassing 2 million followers on Instagram and 500,000 subscribers on YouTube. [8] He also starred alongside American actors Danielle Campbell and Nathan Kress in his own Fullscreen web series, Jay Versace is Stuck in the 90s, [16] which was nominated for Best Web Series at the 10th Shorty Awards. [17] Versace signed a representation contract with United Talent Agency in January 2018, [18] and then was slated to feature alongside American internet personality Miles McKenna in an eight-part web series by Portal A Interactive titled My Wizard & Me, yet this did not come to fruition. [19]

2018–present: Music career

Versace started experimenting with music production for the first time in May 2018, with help from his musician friends Knxwledge and Pink Siifu. [1] [10] He began posting atmospheric, lo-fi music instrumentals to his SoundCloud account. [12] Versace approached American rapper Westside Gunn and asked to work together, before the latter discovered his account and ended up using one of Versace's first-ever songs on his own album, Pray for Paris (2020), titling the track "Versace". [20] He then produced all tracks on the mixtape, The Versace Tape (2020) by American rapper Boldy James, which became the first-ever release on Griselda Records in August 2020. [21] In March 2021, Versace contributed a remix version of the song "Lay_Up.m4a" by Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats to the duo's remix album, Unlocked 1.5 (2021). [22] He also produced the song "Safari" off of American rapper Tyler, the Creator's sixth studio album Call Me If You Get Lost (2021), [11] which won the award for Best Rap Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. [10] Released in August 2022, the track "On God" by American rappers Meechy Darko, Freddie Gibbs and A-Trak, which was co-produced by Versace and Dot da Genius. [23] Versace then produced the songs "SOS" and "Smoking on My Ex Pack" from American singer SZA's second studio album, SOS (2022), which earned him critical acclaim and commercial success. [2] SZA credits her first attempts at rap music to Versace, who encouraged her to "talk her shit". [2]

Personal life

Versace came out as queer [1] via a Snapchat post in 2016, claiming that "I love people in general idgaf what gender you are". [24] [25] [8] His mother, Nikesha Dolly Gunter, died of illness in May 2022. [26]

Production discography

YearArtistAlbumSong
2020 Westside Gunn Pray for Paris "Versace"
Boldy James The Versace Tape"Maria"
"Nu Wave"
"Cartier" (featuring ElCamino)
"Brick Van Exel"
"Long Live Julio"
"Monte Criso"
"Cardinal Sin"
"Bentayga"
"Roxycontin" (featuring Keisha Plum, Tiona Deniece and Westside Gunn)
Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin FlySiifu's"Mind Right"
Lil Yachty Lil Boat 3.5 "Lil Diamond Boy" (bonus track)
2021 Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats Unlocked 1.5 "Lay_Up.m4a (Jay Versace Version)"
Patrick Paige II If I Fail Are We Still Cool?"Who Am I
Tyler, the Creator Call Me If You Get Lost "Safari" (co-produced with Tyler, the Creator)
Westside Gunn Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B"Free Kutter" (featuring Jay Electronica)
2022 Fly Anakin Frank "Bag Man"
Draft DayNon-album single"How Far Will I Go" (featuring Lil Yachty)
Xavier Omärb l u r r"A Dream"
Meechy Darko Gothic Luxury"On God" (featuring A-Trak and Freddie Gibbs) (co-produced with Dot Da Genius)
SZA SOS "SOS"
"Smoking on My Ex Pack"
2023 Summer Walker Clear 2: Soft Life"Pull Up"
"New Type" (featuring Childish Gambino)
Doja Cat Scarlet "97"
"Often"
"Love Life"
2024 Vince Staples Dark Times "Étouffée"

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryRecipient(s) and nominee(s)ResultRef.
BET Social Awards 2019Social Hustle AwardHimselfNominated [27] [28]
Grammy Awards 2022 Best Rap Album Call Me If You Get Lost (by Tyler, the Creator)Won [10]
Grammy Awards 2024 Best Progressive R&B Album SOS (by SZA)Won [10]
Shorty Awards 2016 Viner of the YearHimselfFinalist [15]
2018 Best Web SeriesJay Versace Is Stuck in the 90sNominated [17]
Soul Train Awards 2016 Internet Soul Sensation Badu AwardHimselfWon [29]

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"Smoking on My Ex Pack" is a song by American singer-songwriter SZA from her second studio album, SOS (2022). The second of the album's three rap tracks, it is a boom bap song with a chipmunk soul production style, fusing hard-hitting drum beats with a sped-up sample of Webster Lewis's "Open Up Your Eyes" (1981). Before SOS, SZA had been known as an R&B artist who made "sad girl" music, a narrative she wanted to dispel because she viewed it as reductive. Particularly, she believed her being categorized strictly as R&B was racially insensitive. As such, she wanted to experiment with "aggressive" hip hop music for SOS, leading to the conception of "Smoking on My Ex Pack". Its producer was Jay Versace, to whom SZA credited her first attempts at rap music.

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And Then You Pray for Me is the fifth studio album by American rapper Westside Gunn, released on October 13, 2023, by Griselda Records and Empire. The album is a sequel to Gunn's 2020 album Pray for Paris. With guest appearances from AA Rashid, JID, Conway The Machine, Cartier A Williams, Benny the Butcher, DJ Drama, Stove God Cooks, Rick Ross, Estee Nack, Trap-A-Holics, Giggs, Ty Dolla Sign, Keisha Plum, Denzel Curry, Boldy James, EST Gee, Jeezy, DJ Swamp Izzo, DJ Holiday, Peezy, Rome Streetz, and KayCyy, the album features a shift in sound from Gunn's signature boom bap style, incorporating trap elements reminiscent of the late 2000s and 2010s. The album debuted at number 29 on the Billboard 200, making it Gunn's highest commerical debut on the chart.

Denzel Williams, known professionally as Conductor Williams, is an American record producer from Kansas City, Missouri. He is known for his work with the musical collective Griselda and has produced for rappers Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Boldy James, and Rome Streetz, as well as their former member and associate Mach-Hommy. He is also known for his work with other artists such as Tyler, The Creator, Drake, JID, and J. Cole.

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