It’s been a full decade since rapper Jay Electronica broke out with the underground smash “Exhibit C.” Jay Elec stays hidden most of the time, but today, Jay Electronica is on a new song.
On the new track “No Hoodie (Nothin’ To Lose),” Jay Electronica appears alongside Dave East, the busy Harlem rapper who plays Method Man on the hit show Wu-Tang: An American Saga, and 070 Phi, a New Jersey sing-rapper from the same crew that gave us Kanye West’s protege 070 Shake. On the song, Dave East and Jay Elec rap about suffering from homelessness. Both rappers have been homeless at different times in their lives; they aren’t playing characters.
Jay Elec: “Reagan to Trump, ain’t nothin’ changed / Politics is for the politicians / Full meltdown in this melting pot, while I roam the block with no pot to piss in.”
This fresh offering finds the three acts addressing the country’s homeless epidemic. Proceeds from the track also benefit Hoodies for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization using “music, fashion, and art to bring awareness to the issues of homelessness, and inspiring community participation through the collection of hoodies at live music events,” such as at New York’s Governors Ball Festival.
During his turn at the mic, East captures the dangers facing the homeless community, especially during NYC’s frigid winter season.
“I’m scared of the winter/ New York gets colder than cold/ Fuck the system, I do not want to vote/ Not to mention, I do not own a coat/ It’s freezing, my ni**a/ I don’t got cash or no credit, no AmEx or Visa, my ni**a/ Slept in my jeep with the heat on, my ni**a/ I’m starving for real, it ain’t no secret.”
Check out the single below.
