Cheer Up Jay

Oh the fall from grace. The quake city native once touted as the King of emo-grime has had a ruff few years. Since releasing his acclaimed debut album in 2008 (even DJ Sirvere said it was the best underground record he'd heard in ages) it's been all downhill for Jay Roacher. His long-time girlfriend and the brains behind his label Grymeworks left him, his city suffered the most catastrophic natural disasters seen in recent NZ history, and his only hope of making it, the music industry income, dried up like a smokers top lip. The good news is, the worse things get for Jay, the better his music gets. His sophomore album 'Cheer Up Jay' is without doubt testament to this.

Everyone has a story to tell and this is Jay Roacher's. Inspired from his parent's addiction, his father's overdose, his experiences with being forced into religion as a child, to his own battles with drugs and depression, his disdain for how society operates, and all his failed relationships with women. 'Cheer Up Jay' is an evolution of his first record but, in Jay's own words, "without all the glorification of being lazy or attempts to impress in a hip hop MC sense. This record is just how I honestly feel".

Modern day instrumental mavericks Scratch 22 and Alphabethead are amongst some of the heavy list of producers to wave their wand over the record but some of the most stand out tracks come from little known Christchurch beat-smith and old friend NettsMoney. Tourettes, Louie Knuxx, and Heart Attack Alley's Caoimhe all lend their voice to Jay's cry for help too, however, there is no doubt who the star of this record is. Put simply, Jay has a way with words and flows that attracts praise from hip hop fans and foes alike.