Jay Criss

Jason Christopher Wilkins, better known as Jay Criss, is an American East Coast rapper, producer, and songwriter. The self-proclaimed leader of the New School hip hop movement, Jay Criss has recently branched out into becoming an established jeweler. His stage name comes from the shortened version of his name Jason Christopher. He was born July 15, 1985. In mid 2008, Criss signed with international promotions agency Go Large Records and in October 2008 will be featured in there east coast tourfor the remainder of the year traveling throughout the northeast. His first album, The Crissening, was completed in one month and distributed for free as a promotional album which led to the artist receiving notoriety in his home state of New Jersey. Jay Criss's new album, Ear Candy, is set to be released in late 2008. He is well known for singing the phrase "Lowlife Is Music" before his songs.

Early career

Criss began his career in music in 1997 at the age of 12 when he realized he had an ear for music. He began with the stage name Tuga, his family nickname, and soon changed it to Jay Cristal. Soon after, he began taking piano lessons and putting his talent to use in the form of production for local artists and shortened his name to Jay Criss. In the meantime he began studying musical art styles such as jazz, blues, and european classical. The result of Jay Criss's production and collaboration with his friends and rap artists created an opportunity that soon blossomed into them creating a group called Imperial. Besides Jay Criss, the group also included rappers Era, Tek-Neek, Debo Roc, and A-Dot Skillz. Imperial released their first full length mixtape in 2001 entitled "Da Starting Lineup Mixtape Vol. 1" and went on to distribute 2,000 copies of the cd locally, generating a large buzz in New Jersey.

Soon after releasing the "Starting Lineup Mixtape Vol. 1" Jay Criss broke away from Imperial to record his first solo mixtape entiltled "Nothing 2 Lose." This was released in December 2004 followed by the Imperial mixtape "Da Starting Lineup Vol. 2." The success of these two mixtapes was shortlived as Imperial disbanded in April 2005.

The Screwface Years
In early 2005 Traxx Trigga and Screwface Music Group CEO Raziq Salam overheard Jay Criss's production and immediately signed him to their new label. SFMG started out as a fledgling production company whose main focus was selling music to established as well as up and coming hip hop/R&B Artist. The company went on to create beats for several hip hop artist including: Scarface, Kurupt, Killer Mike, Capone, MOP, Dayton Family to name a few. Over the next year SFMG’s producers would step up to work with almost every major music label and music outlet including MTV and VH-1.

Formation of L.o.w. L.i.f.e
In 2006, while attending William Paterson University, Criss met up with three other artists named Singapore Sling, Quiz, L. Mitchell and Smitty. The artists "had great chemistry on songs" and decided to create a group they called L.o.w. L.i.f.e. The acronym was thought up by Group member Singapore and it stands for "Letting Out Wisdom Locked In Free Enterprise. Under L.o.w. L.i.f.e., Jay Criss put out two mixtapes entitled "Car Bomb!" in January 2007 and "Food!" in 2007. These mixtapes gave him a new buzz and created a doorway for Jay Criss to work with numerous Jersey based groups and artists like Sleepyeye Productions, Kaos The Don, Fly Kings, and many more.

With the release of his first full length album "Da Crissening" in December 2007 Jay Criss dubbed himself "the messiah of music" and the creator of the new school hip-hop movement. This is due to the fact that at a time when majority of the mainstream artists were doing Crunk and Southern style Hip-Hop, Jay Criss kept the northeast sound, recreating it in such a way that it was still mainstream and acceptable to his peers. This sound became his signature sound and he built upon this creating what he calls "real music." As a result, Jay Criss added "...Is Music" to the end of his group L.o.w. L.i.f.e. redubbing it "L.o.w. L.i.f.e. Is Music" to signal what he called, "the resurgence of real music in Hip-Hop." He called this his New School Movement and "Da Crissening" was then promoted and distributed for free in order to promote the creation of his second album "Ear Candy" to be released at the end of 2008.

Career with Go Large Records
After graduating college in May 2008 Jay Criss met with rock star Matt Colligan who introduced him to executives at the promotions company Go Large Records formerly called Alonce Music Agency. Go Large Records signed Jay Criss for the initial distribution stages of his album while providing him with marketing support towards the promotions of “Ear Candy”. It was with Go Large that Jay Criss began receiving radio play, and major promotions on tour throughout the northeast. In an August 2008 Press Release the company released a statement saying,"The 23 year old hip hop star, Jay Criss, is not only a hip hop artist but is also a producer and entrepreneur. He shows his aptitude with his newly released CD by producing every song on his album, 'Ear Candy', while laying down his self-written lyrics for a unique and diversified album."

Personal life
At a young age Jay Criss was involved with the arts including drawing, painting, and writing. He was born in Willingboro Township, New Jersey and resided in Elizabeth, New Jersey for much of his early years growing up. It was here Jay Criss says he learned the realities of life. Jay Criss states in his interview on the Starting Lineup Vol. 2 DVD Documentary that "the issues of everyday life" and the "economic struggle" his family was going through motivated him to want to "achieve more than a regular job."
At the age of 5 Jay Criss lost his older brother to AIDS and several of his family members to street violence. It was at this moment Jay says he decided he wanted to make a positive difference in his troubled community and family. In his teenage years he claims to have sold drugs but says he wasn't that good at it.
Jay Criss attended college at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey with a bachelors degree in Communications Television and Radio, and a Minor in African World Studies and Business. While in college, Jay Criss developed a "revolutionary mentality" and after graduating he began work on a non-profit company called "Schooling and Housing Our Communities (S.H.O.C.)." In his song "Revolutionary" Jay describes his attitude toward college saying, "I call it my debt/ You call it my college degree." In 2008 his close friend and relative Terry Murray a.k.a. Teff G was gunned down in Elizabeth, New Jersey. "The Crissening" is dedicated to the memory of Teff G and his name is listed in the credits. Jay Criss and Adriana Rodriguez had a daughter Ayanna Marie Angeli Wilkins on July 3, 2008.

Jewelry
In mid 2008 Jay Criss began offering exclusive and customized jewelry for artists to buy. He is now well known in the music industry for selling expensive jewelry to artists. He claims that this helped finance the lavish life he sometimes raps about.

Discography

* 2001: The Starting Lineup Mixtape Vol. 1
* 2004: Nothin 2 Lose
* 2004: The Starting Lineup Mixtape Vol. 2
* 2007: Car Bomb!
* 2007: Food!
* 2007: Da Crissening
* 2008: Ear Candy

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