By: Shane Bagot, Community Journalist
GLASSBORO — Jay Amari, a Rowan University Junior, released an album on Jan. 9, “Soul Searching.”
It is a collaboration between Amari and MP Fazo, who produced, mixed, and mastered the album. For Amari, “Soul Searching” was a transformative journey from start to finish.
Growing up, Amari had been surrounded by music constantly, allowing him to build a strong relationship with it from a young age. His mom used to sing, and multiple other family members had been into music or dabbled in it.
“I’d want to say it was probably elementary school. I was watching a show on Nick Jr. called ‘The Fresh Beat Band.’ There’s this one dude that was rapping there. After that, I started listening to rap music. Then that’s been my thing,” said Amari.
His first glimpse into Hip Hop was artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, and Wiz Khalifa. Then, as he got older, his ears turned towards Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, and JID.
Starting around the age of eight, he had written his first rap. Evolving into making YouTube videos on his music when he was 11, he fully took the art seriously when he started going to Rowan University.
It was weird for him at first, as he was just used to doing it for YouTube videos. It was uncomfortable trying to make actual songs and learning about recording. The support and help of the people around him helped him grow into it.
Growing to the point of being able to produce an album like “Soul Searching.” For him, it was an important but fun experience.
“Every track on here was like a journey of some sort. Working with MP Fazo is nothing but amazing. That dude is a musical genius. I’m not writing the song by myself, because I got somebody else that’s also doing hooks and verses, so it was cool to kind of bounce off each other. We definitely pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones,” said Amari.
That collaboration with MP Fazo was a crucial one in the making of “Soul Searching.” Amari and Fazo came together for the idea of the title track that would birth the album. The track “Listen to Me” was sparked from a comment Fazo said, “As you start to get older, the colors ain’t as bright.”
Another important collaboration was with AYO Chris, another artist and producer. They have a collaboration album out already, titled “The Bleachers.” AYO Chris has felt like a brother to Amari, and is always able to provide the sounds and vibe he needs. That connection they have is a big point for Amari.
“The thing I love about AYO Chris is that every artist that he works with, he actually sits down with them and produces with them and tries to get a feel for what they’re going for. What type of sound they need,” said Amari.
For “Soul Searching,” they were going for a soulful sound. Making sure the main thing was that each song would be felt by the listeners. This is one of his favorite parts of music. For him, it is a whole other level to have the listeners feel it and connect emotionally.
Amari has been feeling it from the support from the album. People are reaching out about their favorites. Paradise is specifically getting the most support.
He has taken a lot from this journey. Learning about the importance of that emotional connection within the music. Being able to get out of his comfort zone and stretch his horizons. The biggest thing for him was finding out that he could thrive in a collaborative space.
For the next year, he is looking to make more content, like a music video for “Soul Searching,” including some live performances with the album’s material. He will also be helping AYO Chris with his new album coming out in April.
All of this will culminate in Amari releasing his debut solo album in the fall.
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