Jay Lieasi

Papua New Guinean / American rapper, producer, singer, and songwriter Jay Lieasi (formerly Prote-J) delivers lyrically crafty introspection over tropic-soul beats. Born in Los Angeles but raised in PNG, the Florida-based artist’s global sensibility shines through in his music, audaciously exploring multiple genres while maintaining a distinctive style that has set him apart for over a decade. Influenced by the likes of Timbaland, Kanye West, and Roy Ayers, Lieasi initially gained popularity by composing Major League Baseball at-bat songs before releasing his first mixtape as Prote-J in 2010 — Good Hip Hop Meets Radio. The entirely self-produced debut was followed by 2011’s Dope Raps &amp; Kit Kats and 2012’s Me.Verses.Time. Opening for Busta Rhymes, J. Cole, Big Sean, Mac Miller and more, Lieasi performed regionally in the U.S. before touring internationally. Revisiting his PNG roots, Lieasi shed his former alias with the release of “Why We Play (Official Team PNG Anthem)” in 2015 — performed live in the XV Pacific Games closing ceremony. Several collaborations ensued, and in 2017 Lieasi teamed up with Max-A-Million for the single <a href="spotify:track:1evDj3uckioKFaTFV3Po2F" data-name="Again">Again</a>. In 2018, Lieasi was named Creative Director for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in PNG, expanding his artistic pursuits to designing cultural art shows, culminating in the release of <a href="spotify:album:6TMfgndg67hjEZmLG7CAid" data-name="2morrow2day">2morrow2day</a>. Lieasi is currently in the studio working on his debut album.