This week, we were able to catch up with quickly rising, incredibly talented, and well connected Hip Hop artist Jay Rare. He first caught our eye with his most recent release, an EP titled “Built Different”, a project through which he immediately establishes a level of quality and lyricism that we believe will propel him to immense heights of success. Interestingly enough, music is not the only artistic endeavor that Jay is involved in; he also has designed his own line of shoes in the past, Rare Runners, that only further confirm his incredible level of creativity and ingenuity. We predict very big things are in store for him, and so we urge you to tune in now!

Decker: “Man, am I glad to be talking with you today! We’re very happy you could find the time in your busy schedule to chat with us. We’re super excited to get to know more about you.”

Jay: “Glad to be here!”

Decker: “So, first off, tell us about yourself! Who are you, where are you originally from, etc.:”

Jay: “I’m Jay Rare, and I’m from East Oakland in the Bay Area”

Decker: “How did you get started in music?”

Jay: “I was always around music growing up, a lot of my family friends were close with E40 and Too $hort. Everyone in the bay seemed to be musically in tuned, everyone loved Mac Dre. They still do! I honestly started making music just to stay outta trouble, and I fell in love with it fast.”

Decker: “Who and What are some of your largest musical influences?”

Jay: “A lotta Tory Lanez, for sure. Old school Drake, like Drake before he got signed, before “So Far Gone”, he had this mixtape “Comeback Season” and I used to listen to that all the time. I actually found Drake on MySpace in 2007 when he was still on Degrassi. Lil Wayne’s “No Ceilings”mixtape, for sure. Also Outkast, Andre 3000 is a major influence on me. My grandma used to slap Outkast a lot, and my uncle used to listen to a ton of Ludacris, too. I loved Ludacris because he brought a larger level of fun to being a crazy street dude. He was hella funny and that resonated with me. Rakim, Wutang Clan as well. Honestly it’s hard to name everyone who’s influenced me, but those are definitely some of the most notable off the top of my head.”

Decker: “Would you consider yourself more of a rapper, or as an artist?”

Jay: “I’m definitely more of an artist than a rapper. I don’t approach things like a regular person. My approach is rare, hence the name. Designing shoes, listening to a bunch of tracks and taking what I like and incorporating these great influences into something amazing. Yeah, definitely an artist.”

Decker: “What have been some of your favorite moments with music so far?”

Jay: “When Lil Wayne made “Hustler Shit”, when he was wearing a Bape jacket, and I was too young to understand what he was talking about, but I still felt it. I wanted to be part of it. After that, definitely the “Hyphee” movement in the bay. It was all about High energy, being energetic, a whole wave took over where people would throw functions, it was all about positive energy, getting stupid, it was when E40 dropped “Tell Me Where To Go.” You couldn’t go nowhere without hearing it. Everyone was trying to make music. Sideshow people would get in a scraper, get in an intersection, and people would do donuts and blast music on big speakers. I was like 12 or 13 when I went to my first one. That was when I realized the bay is unique and we have our own culture.”

Decker: “What was your favorite song off your most recent EP, “Built Different””

Jay: “Investors”, with “Tesla” in second. “Investors” captures where I’m at in my life right now. I’m doing a ton of stuff on my own, with me and my brothers, and people are finally starting to recognize the work we’re putting in, and the money I’m starting to make. People see this and realize they needa invest, and now. When we first made it, I did numerous takes to make sure it hit the way I wanted it to. I got billion dollar dreams but the difference is Imma make them happen, just like that.”

Decker: “What’s next for Jay Rare?”

Jay: “I for sure have one of the best managers in the game right now, Eitan Schorr, and I have a great relationship with him, too, so he tells me a ton of what I need to know and what I need to focus on. I wanna work with more artists, I definitely wanna collaborate horizontally, and build with people that I talk to on a regular basis. I wanna do latin music, too, for sure. And I wanna put out a house record: I wanna do everything. I don’t wanna be held by one genre or put in a box. I wanna keep making shoes like I did with the Rare Runners, and I wanna make clothes too. Again, I’m a true artist: I don’t wanna be put in one category. People die everyday, I wanna do what I can while im here.”

Jay Rare, thank you for sharing your story with us. To all those out there reading this interview, tune in now before Jay Rare is a household name, so you can tell all your friends “I told you so!”