Jae Sterling goes by “many names” and is a multi-platform artist that you should know about. He is Jamaican-born and now doing everything he can to grow the music scene of his adopted-home, Calgary, Alberta. About a year ago Sterling began a week-long residency at the National Music Centre, which is when his mission truly started. Sterling has hopes of using his talent and resources to build a sound that not only represents him, but will eventually shape this sound of his city and province.
His latest release “Oranges” is a 4-minute rap song that is a raw expression of Jae getting shit off his chest. The urgency he displays on the track stands out. His vocals aren’t plagued with autotune and effects that make it hard to understand him, he wants you to know exactly what he’s saying.
The song can be broken up in two parts, separated by a smooth beat change, that transitions from the initial boom-bap sound into sample and 808-heavy production that is more reminiscent of the popular musical landscape.
“Oranges” is the lead single to the BULLY project which is expected to release this fall. The project is explained as a “cross-cultural, multimedia body of work, examining race, sexuality, violence, and art’s ability to retell and heal histories while simultaneously violating them”.
Check out the single below and keep an eye out for a series of digital essays and short films that will lead up to the full-length album’s release.
