Jay O'jay

Jay O’jay was born in Banjul, The Gambia. His love for music started early as a kid watching his Dad write and compose church music for the Baati Linguere Choir. His Dad is one of The Gambia’s most famous choir masters and his mum a retired Nurse and Midwife.

However Jay O’jays interest and passion for making music came later on in his life because as he said it, football or soccer was the love of his life. That was the dream. He was a very talented and promising footballer playing professional back in Gambia, for Sait Matty F.C. while still in high school at Marina International.

Upon graduating high school he moved to Tottenham, England where he signed for a semi professional team Haringey Borough F.C. playing for 2 years. Unfortunately making it to the pros in England proved difficult, as a result of him not having a work permit to sign with a big team.

He was then offered a football scholarship to move to the United States. He said “I took the scholarship with the hopes of making it to the pros in America.” Unfortunately as faith would have it Jay O’jay tore his ACL in his left knee, on his first game playing for his new university team. He needed two surgeries in two years to fix his knee which ultimately ended his football career.

Some years later, a new door opened for him in music, during the Covid19 lockdown when he started recording freestyles for fun to post on social media. And the rest as they say is history!