Jay lyn gatz

Independent hip-hop artist and Chicago native, Jay Lyn Gatz, wields an energetic flow that resides in a realm of its own. Taking pride in his originality, Gatz is always sharpening his pen. After charting at number 4 and number 8 on the US and UK  iTunes hip-hop charts with his "Black Syllabus" EP with Raffinae Keyes, he's aiming to take it to the next level. With a sound that's both fresh and nostalgic, his music delivers in both departments.

Gatz looks to be as original as possible in a world of lost identities. Born on the south side of Chicago and relocating to the south suburbs, he began rapping in 2001. With a wide range of artistic inspirations, he has formulated a laid-back sound with a sharp romantic flow and a suave persona to match. During his time filming on Fox's sets his demeanor was described by television director Debbie Allen as “cool and smooth”, “relaxed”, and gave him the nickname “Sly.” 

After his father passed away in 2008, his music served as an outlet to polish his craft and individuality. He wants his words to stick with people the way his father’s words have stuck with him. In his music, he never wastes words; he always raps with a definite purpose. Gatz is persistent when it comes to making original sounding music and is extremely strict on himself when it comes to his creative process. He wants to inspire people to always follow their own path. Rapper Common gave him advice that he got from iconic poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou saying, “Don’t dim your light for anybody.”

Some of his musical influences include Project Pat, Common, Michael Jackson, Eminem, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Blu, Lupe Fiasco, G-Unit, OutKast, Sade, The Isley Brothers, Linkin Park, Gorillaz, and the Motown sound. His inspirations extend beyond music into video games, literature, sports, comedy, 90’s pop culture, 70’s style, Civil Rights, animation, films, visual artwork, and graphic novels. These influences are his mother, Kobe Bryant, Muhammad Ali, Dave Chappelle, Malcolm X, Dick Gregory, Jackie Chan, The Rock, Stone Cold, Shigeru Miyamoto, Stan Lee, Akira Toriyama, Steven Blum, Kevin Conroy,  Jim Carrey and many more. His 6-foot 4-inch stature and giant afro allow him to stand out amongst a crowd as he looks to reach new heights.