London's Jay Prince Brings His 'Late Summers' Tour To Chicago Fans
Written by Rachel Blackman
Turn your focus to East London rapper and producer Jay Prince, in preparation for his show tonight at Subterranean alongside Chicago music staple Smoko Ono. No stranger to the Chicago music scene, Jay Prince found a level of traction here that very few young British acts receive. Whatever the reason may be, Jay Prince notes that “I get the feeling that the people of Chicago that support my music actually want me there… I always feel like I have a purpose, especially in a place like Chicago which is home to great artists that have influenced me in my career.”
Acts from overseas often find a challenge in the laborious task of attempting tours and selling tickets in state side, thousands of miles from home base. However, Jay Prince has connected strongly with American listeners, and performed multiple times in Chicago since his first tour. It’s exactly how he knew his community of fans and listeners was accelerating in a special way. Looking back, “the moment I felt that traction was picking up, I think, naturally, was when I realized I was able to come back. It’s always great going to a city for the first time, which I did in 2015, but then when I was able to come back and continue being able to share my music… I began to sense that there was more for me out there and more to be done.” Now, Jay Prince is looking forward to seeing where this organic growth can take him in the future. As the listen count keeps rising, “I’m now realizing my music is not only getting heard in my hometown but in so many places. I want to be able to grow as an artist and also grow with audiences from not only Chicago, but all over, and the timing has never felt more right.”
On the Chicago stop on his tour, Jay Prince is most excited for “being around the people, being able to connect with the people…soak up every moment in every single way, and appreciate every part, from the people to the culture, literally as much as I can.” Given the airy chord progressions Jay utilizes in his music, and the occasional sparse, jazz-influenced instrumentation, his stylings are not entirely dissimilar to the kind of sound coming out of Chicago. For our LDN brethren, this city is a perfect setting for his music to continue to flourish. Only 2 months after releasing his critically and fan acclaimed Late Summers project, Jay Prince’s timing couldn’t be better.
Now, a seasoned performer with a repertoire of music too excellent to be ignored, he has solidified himself as an act that is not to be missed. Catch him tonight at Subterranean, where he looks forward to “expressing music in forms beyond what is expected.”
