Jay Khalil has unique roots, and you can hear it in his music; the Guatemalan-Nicaraguan-Palestinian creator was born in Chicago and raised in Miami, giving him a wildly different perspective on the music process.
Sonically, Jay Khalil describes himself as all over the place — Jordan Ward, DUCKWRTH and Wale are a few influences that immediately come to mind — but in reality, he describes his combination of inspirations as a “full-on artist.”
“My musical influences seem all over the place but in my head, I grab inspiration from certain parts of each artist to add to my current style and have my own unique spin on it,” he said.
A prime example of Jay’s innate ability to stand out is his recent single “Princess,” which is to be a part of his soon-to-be-released Gold N’ Purple EP. It’s his attempt at “tackling the house-hip-hop subgenre,” which he finds is locally successful.
“I wanted to create something playful while stepping into this new sound I’ve been honing,” Jay Khalil said. “I wanted to make something for everyone to enjoy while listening to what else I’m capable of doing creatively.”
“It definitely made me comfortable with going forward within this genre,” he added.
Speaking of going forward, it’s full speed ahead for Jay Khalil; Gold N’ Purple comes out June 14, and he’s already been consistently dropping visuals to prepare for the most important release of his burgeoning career.
And aside from preparing for a performance at Miami’s III Points festival, Jay Khalil is simply just enjoying the ride into his new era.
“This is my ‘PURPLE ERA’ [and] I welcome everyone to it,” he said. “Enjoy what comes next in the following months.”
Connect with Jay Khalil by following him on Instagram and visiting his website.
Watch the video to “Princess” and more Jay Khalil content here.