Come Close

Growing up in Indianapolis, Indiana, Jae, the son of a preacher, was always around music in the church. His mother played the organ and all of his sisters sang in the choir. He also sang in the choir and over time, Jae began to lead songs in church and then in concerts at school. This gave him a wonderful feeling. When he saw the reactions of the people and the applause they gave him, he wanted to do it more and more. So with a strong passion for singing, Jae began recording music with his friends. Being that his friends loved to rap, and he was a respected singer, they were all intrigued with the quality of music they were producing. With an obvious chemistry, they eventually formed the multi faceted group called The Prodigies. Throughout high school and college, The Prodigies performed at parties and local night clubs. They even managed to have spins at the local college bars and a respectable amount of radio play. Over time, the group began to look for new avenues to reach new audiences. Coincidentally, there had also been a rising interest in hearing Jae on R&B tracks. Friends, fans, even industry executives, would constantly comment on the tone and range of Jae's voice. This is when The Prodigies decided to take some time off and push for a Jae's solo album. Jae's debut album was very unique. The bulk of the tracks were produced by his best friend and main producer, Krunti K Dawg Hester of Razkal and Vega, who had an extensive history in Indianapolis' underground hip hop scene. With Jae's smooth tone, and K Dawg's eclectic hip hop production, the match was unprecedented. Fans made this self titled album one of the most frequently purchased albums on the internet for an unsigned artist. And it's single, Rebound was frequently played by DJs and eventually place in regular rotation on one of Philadelphia's smaller radio stations. After a year of pushing the first Jae album, it was now time to take Jae's music to another level. With an ever growing passion to make new songs, Jae began working on his new album entitled Come Close. This album was intended not only to create hit songs, but also to display Jae's singing ability. With this in mind, Jae sought out two of Philly's top R&B producers in Johnnie Croom and Clarence Brown. Their brilliantly arranged tracks brought out the sound that Jae had been looking for. That sound, in addition to the already established vibe from Razkal and Vega, the album was now complete. This album, consisting of twelve banging tracks demonstrates how a project can easily blend the true sounds of hip hop and R&B. Along with music, Jae has been heavily involved with athletics. Following high school, he played football and participated in track and field at the University of Iowa. He then went on to play professionally for the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and the Atlanta Falcons. From the amazing people he met, to the knowledge of life in an entertainment business, Jae's experience in the NFL was priceless. But most importantly, he learned about what it took to be great in any field of work.