Jay NiCE - Rise & Shine
Rise & Shine is an album that took 3 years to complete. Delaware born Jay NiCE and LA based Dough Networkz brain child, was conceived during a convo about NiCE’s relationship with ASAP YAMS, affectionately called Eastside Stevie. “I used to be on OnSMASH forums with Yams roasting the shit outta niggas”, recalls NiCE chuckling, “I knew he was going places, I was in tune with everything he did. The internship with Jim Jones, his realniggatumblr blog, taste in music, we used to hit each other up on AIM and just start typing Big Pun lyrics to each other, he would always pop it off. “He was truly the Yoda of underground Hip Hop, shit Hip Hop in general”. NiCE was also in tune with another entity in the culture with ties to ASAP, Chace Infinite, of Self Scientific. Chace managed Rocky for years finding massive success. NiCE always recognized that talent, and yearned for that type of mentorship. During this conversation with Dough Networkz, who NiCE met thru mutual associates in the underground lane, NiCE mentioned to Dough that he seen Chace mention Mach-Hommy, Westside Gunn, and others during a Rap Radar interview and was excited that he was tuned into the lane that NiCE and other underground MCs occupied. It was manifesto come full circle. NiCE mentioned that he always wanted to work with Chace. Dough made one call, and the rest is history.
“Me & Dough took 3 years to make this project because honestly, I was dumping so fuckin much with other projects!”, Laughs NiCE. “Plus the time it takes waiting for features, beats, traveling, writer’s block, artwork, things like that.” says NiCE. “Once we got all the songs and features together, we knew we had a instant classic”.
Rise & Shine is a loose concept album about the joys of waking up in the morning and getting the day started, being thankful God rose you up for another day in this wonderful life. The project is executive produced by Jay NiCE, Dough Networkz & Chace Infinite, releasing thru Empire & Harun Records.
The album contains a fully staffed team of some of the best producers today in the underground. The likes of Jansport J, Python P, Benji Socrate$, Giveemsoul, A Margin Of Freedom, ChopTheHead, Murph, Wazasnics, Mal’akh Kasa, and Phil A give the album a grand feel, different flavors for the morning you dig?
Features are stacked with star power artists including Estee Nack, Flee Lord, Fredro Starr, Recognize Ali, Big Cheeko, T.F, Chace Infinite, Kuji Young, The Outlawz, The God Fahim, & RU$H. It also have a myriad of producers on the project as well. Jay NiCE’s gift to all his bandcamp followers is dropping the album exclusively on here at midnight, before everyone gets it on streaming on friday.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the making of this classic.
Hope you enjoy.
Art Direction by Jay NiCE
Album Cover shot by Optical Alchemy
Back Cover designed by Kuji Young
Executive Produced By Jay NiCE, Dough Networkz & Chace Infinite