Jonathan Hay Publicity

Jonathan Hay Publicity is a publicity firm started in Los Angeles California JHP has been the leading publicist team behind acts like Rihanna, Days of the New,Travis Meeks, Nappy Roots,Audio Stepchild, and Michael Barber. JHP has also worked on in the movie industry producing urban movies for the now deceased, Big Pun and Chicago MC Twista. JHP has worked with the who’s who of the industry today, and has paced media in everything from TMZ, Rolling Stone, Vibe Magazine, MTV, HipHopDX, XXL Magazine among countless other media sources. He is also credited as breaking out superstar Rihanna to the mainstream media with her chart-topping single “Pon De Replay.”
Early Success
JHP gained success in the late 1990s with the rock group Days of the New helping the group to sell 3.1 million records. This also lead to the emergence of Nicole Scherzinger of Louisville, Kentucky, who went on to fame with the Pussycat Dolls.
Publicity Stunt and Rihanna
In 2004 after discovering a struggling, talented singer from Barbados named, Rihanna, JHP knew he had to pull off a publicity stunt to get the star into the limelight. JHP leaked a massive rumor that Rihanna was sleeping with Rapper Jay-Z. Armed with this rumor and the single, Pon-De-Replay, Rihanna would soon break into mainstream success. Pon De Replay would reach number two on both the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart, whilst achieving top five positions in eight other countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America denoting shipments of over 1,000,000 copies.
Hoopla Worldwide
JHP started the record company, Hoopla Worldwide with distribution via Universal Records and Ingrooves Fontana. HipHopDX reported the following about Hoopla Worldwide: "Originating in Louisville, Kentucky but with team members strategically based all across the United States and Canada, Hoopla began its relationship with WIDEawake Entertainment publicizing and marketing their releases from the vast Death Row vault. Impressed with Hoopla’s work, WIDEawake offered a full-blown distribution deal." JHP and Hoopla Worldwide have distributed music into retail that featured the following recording artists of notability including: Knoc-turn'al, Crooked I, Cyhi Da Prynce, MC Ren (of N.W.A), Sir Jinx, Jayo Felony, Jay Rock, (of Run-DMC), Glasses Malone, Roc Raida, Nappy Roots, Tha Chill, Big V, Snoop Dogg, Nipsey Hussle, Focus..., Wingo from Jagged Edge, Gucci Mane, Yukmouth, Obie Trice, Kokane and more.

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