Jaylien Wesely, commonly known in the music industry as Jaylien, has a resume that includes musical giants such as Akon, Chris Brown, T-Pain, Ty Dolla Sign, and more.
“When you grow up in a household like that you are going to catch the bug,” said the artist.
The talented artist was born into music, both his parents are musicians. Jaylien says his parents met at Mizzou when they were in the school choir, they wrote songs together and performed together. He describes them as the local BeBe and CeCe Winans.
In his childhood home, Jaylien heard gospel music, and pop artists like Michael Jackson, Mariah Cary, and Whitney Houston, but he says his parents would add in that R&B soul and play Sade and Anita Baker.
“Music is just a part of my life, when you grow up in a household like that you are going to catch the bug,” said the artist.
For his latest album, the rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, and composer took all of those genres of music and compiled them into his album The Blue Project, which takes you on the emotional ride of life during and after a breakup.
The 10-song album debuted in September and it invites you into his deepest feelings after he ended a six-year relationship, which he says was very therapeutic for him to be vulnerable and honest about his feelings. Jaylien describes that time as being hit by life twice. First, he broke up with his longtime girlfriend, and then a week later he was in a really bad car accident.
“I was just stuck in the house for about six months last year, and the only thing I could do was write. And that turned into the Blue Project,” said Jaylien.
He says his album takes you through the stages of a breakup, first hurt, disbelief, anger, forgiveness, and healing. The Blue Project is a little bit of everything, rap, R&B, and rock.
His thought process was how he would convey his feelings and what he was experiencing in a song. And he went back to the music he heard growing up and found his inspiration there.
Jaylien said, “My album features styles of music I love, and I listen to everything. I want my album to sound like me.”
Jaylien says each of his talents rather it’s in writing, rapping, or producing music all feed off each other and admits he came into the music industry late but that has given him time to improve his skills in his craft which he says he can tell they have improved a lot with this album.
Just two days after he released it he received a call from one of Diddy’s representatives from A&R asking if he could come in and work on a project with the megastar. According to Jaylien, the A&R told him that Diddy and his team have been playing the Blue Project non-stop and asked if Jaylien would come into the studio and work with Diddy.
Without hesitation, Jaylien said absolutely.
Jaylien says he has been around Diddy but only in passing, they have never been formally introduced until now. Gushing he said Diddy gave him his props and said his work was good.
“To get snaps from someone like Diddy is confirmation that I made the right choice to put out this album,” said Jaylien.
And confirmation is just what he needed especially because there were times he wasn’t always supported, some people close to him suggested he should try a different career path because his passion for music wasn’t taking off as fast as they had hoped. But like most artists, everything is a process even down to the way art is created.
Jaylien has his little quirks in how he creates lyrics or beats.
For starters, he has to be inspired, and that can be at any given moment. He says it’s always during some random time, like at a restaurant or driving in his car. Different sounds or outside noises inspire him to make those little things that we hear every day into music. For instance, car tire screeching, forks, or spoons clanking on a plate. He says the smallest most insignificant sound can be turned into music.
But before the mega hits and big stars, Jaylien worked closely with local rap artist Huey who unfortunately was killed a few years back. But before his untimely death, Huey was somewhat of a big deal in the early 2000s with his major hit Pop Lock and Drop It.
It was 2007 and young Jaylien and Huey ran in the same circle of friends and both dreamed of one day making it to the top of the music industry. They would go to the night clubs together, shoot pool, and over time they became close friends. Jaylien describes Huey as the homie.
Huey had just signed a deal with Jive Records, and his manager suggested to Jaylien that it would be a great idea if he worked on his album. Again without hesitation Jaylien jumped on the opportunity.
Huey’s first major hit topped the charts, and Jaylien couldn’t be more proud. He was there from the beginning he experienced the song being a local hit, to national and international all at the age of 19.
Expressing gratitude Jaylien said, “It was beautiful to see somebody make it from the crib go that far.” “Working with Huey was a pivotal moment in my career, and I will love Huey forever for that.”
He produced Huey’s second single ‘G5’ featuring T-Pain and that was his first placement as a producer. Jaylien says he received his first check as a producer and he felt rich, but he soon realized $2,500 was not that much money. Especially because he spent it so fast. Jaylien decided to take his career to the next level and move to Atlanta in 2008, but it wasn’t all glitz and glam Jaylien had hoped it would have been.
As a newcomer to the booming city, Jaylien had to hustle to get his music out there. “I was a nobody,” said the artist. He had to make a name for himself, he would put CDs on car windshields with his contact information attached.
However, things would turn around for the then-starving artist, for months he would designate a day of writing for a specific artist. He would create songs that fit their style and vocal ability. One day he had an ‘Akon day’ he didn’t write these songs expecting to meet him, but he says you never know and he wanted to be prepared.
Well, the stars must have been aligned for Jaylien that day because he met Akon, he told the international recording artist that he had written a few songs for him. Akon took a listen and Jaylien says he instantly gravitated toward one song that he made for him. But at the time Akon had just finished his album and sent it to the record label, but he liked Jaylien’s song so much he decided to open his album, increase the budget and add the song ‘Beautiful’ to his album Freedom. The single sold four million copies and ranked 19 in the top 100 in 2008.
“And that’s the song that changed my life, that song put me on the map,” said Jaylien.
Jaylien said that Akon liked that he was from St. Louis and connected with him because Akon had lived in St. Louis for a little while and still has family here.
After that Jaylien started working under Akon and many chart-topping artists like Ty Dollar Sign who Jaylien describes as a musical genius he says that he is a great collaborator and musician. He says that Ty Dollar Sign understands music on a much higher level. He says working with Chris Brown is like working with a machine, the songwriter/producer says that Brown can record five or six songs in one studio session.
Jaylien says working with a major artist is like being on a basketball team, you’re sitting on the bench waiting for your number to be called.
“When my name and number get called, I just show up and try to provide whatever they need. That’s why I wear so many hats,” said Jaylien. “I do it all”
Even though Jaylien has been living out of state for some time, he still waves his St. Louis flag very proudly. “I love St. Louis, I miss Imos pizza and our Chinese food,” said Jaylien
He hopes to one day create a festival here celebrating local artists and bringing in A-listers to his hometown to show them what St. Louis is all about. The festival will consist of a celebrity basketball game, a charity event, a Saturday night concert, and a Sunday gospel concert.
Filled with enthusiasm Jaylien said, “I don’t know how long it is going to take, but I will make it happen.”
