General
by Tony Delgado

Brian Jai is Inspired and Ready to Takeover the Music Scene

To those in the know, Brian Jai is what R&B is supposed to be in 2021. Despite being viable in a contemporary sense, he still describes himself as having “nostalgic, R&B roots.” The Montville, Connecticut bred singer & songwriter is a studio rat who oozes talent, vision, and charisma onstage. I still return regularly to what feels like a debut classic in “You Deserve It” and am legitimately hype about what’s to come.

Jai has performed with the cast of “Love & Hip Hop”, PnB Rock, Gucci Mane, and many others. He seems more than comfortable onstage which stands out to me in an era where a lot of people hide behind production value and turn their stage show into a glorified karaoke session. I plan on attending a show (or several) now that we finally appear to be moving towards normalizing that sort of thing again.

Brian Jai grew up around vocalists for parents and a constant presence of music at home. This sort of upbringing instills generational respect in terms of music which can help prevent young and up-and-coming artists from falling into the common pitfall of being narrowminded about those who paved the way.
He experimented with and honed in upon his voice, learning production and recording programs while also picking up instruments to further his rapidly developing skillset. Despite repping his native Connecticut, Jai doesn’t speak much of a regional influence in terms of what shaped his sound or path.
His taste in music (John Mayer, PartyNextDoor, Usher, Chris Brown) reflects the eclectic sensibility that permeates his (exceedingly dope) work. All of my personal favorite artists, are “I listen to anything that’s good” types and Jai seems to fit that mold like a glove.
When I asked Jai to elaborate upon his inspirations, he had a considerable amount to say:  “I’ve known for a long time that music was my strong suit. As soon as I was able to create music and hear a final product, it was game over. Music wasn’t just something I would listen to anymore…It was something that I could sit down and create on my own. Song after song, try after try, I just got even more addicted to the fact that I could come up with an idea, hear a melody, write lyrics, record my voice, mix my vocals, and create an entire song.”

Note to artists: Put in the necessary time it takes to truly LEARN the process. It’s tough to articulate such a feeling, but I feel as if he did a strong job of doing so. Sometimes, it’s best stated in a “this is where I’m meant to be” type fashion.

Brian Jai elaborated further, recognizing the music as a part of his genetic makeup: “This is just who I am, and it’s who I want to be. I don’t see myself doing anything else other than creating music for the rest of my life, and I love that. No matter how I feel, I can go into the studio and freely express myself…It’s where I find my happiness. I’m just thankful that I am able to wake up every day and do what I love.”

The part that stands out the most to me from this response is his allusion to music being therapy and the fact that he expresses gratitude for having such an outlet. I think many take their given outlet for granted. Others, don’t have an outlet at all which can obviously lead to a laundry list of complications.

Born creators such as Jai are extra fortunate because they not only have an outlet, but they can turn it into something beautiful that lives forever. Furthermore, the ability to encapsulate empathy through our own pain is what further elevates music into a rarefied air in terms of outlets/forms of expression. Few things are so universally applicable and readily felt by people feeling a gamut of emotions.

Ultimately, Brian Jai more than “deserves it” in terms of his continued ascent. He is a consummate professional who consistently puts the work into his craft while studying the industry itself. He has some special music on the way that “differs from his previous style” and is truly one to watch; you can do so at the links below:

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