whYJay

Introducing: whYJay

Whyjay is the multi-platinum selling record producer instrumental in some of the UK’s chart toppers. You’ve heard his production in certified platinum bangers ‘Taste (Make It Shake)’ by Aitch, ArrDee’s ‘Flowers’, and Tion Wayne & La Roux’s ‘IFTK’ and infectious tunes like Central Cee’s ‘Doja’ (certified Gold in UK & US). Whyjay executive produced Aitch’s debut album ‘Close To Home’ which peaked at Number 2 in the UK album charts, including the top ten single ‘My G’ featuring superstar Ed Sheeran. He also bagged two Silvers from his work on DigDat’s ‘Ei8ht Mile’ and ArrDee & Aitch’s ‘War’. 

His undeniable success in UK rap hasn’t stopped Whyjay from continuing to grow and expand sonically. Whyjay is showcasing his talent across the UK’s most exciting pop prospects like Flo’s ‘Fly Girl’ and Caity Baser’s ‘Pretty Boys’, both charting in Top 40. 

A master at his craft and true creative, Whyjay was experimenting with his sound from an early age. “I was always the music kid, banging on pots and pans-type kid,” he explains. “And then I had piano and violin lessons when I was younger. My family are a little bit musical. They're into it, so there's always lots of support.” Rock bands came first; he would write lyrics and handle the occasional vocal, but as the “pots and pans-type kid”, as he puts it, it was always about drums for him. Soon he discovered grime and started to get into what was going on in London and Manchester’s localised scene. 

For Whyjay, it’s always been about building up the infrastructure. Before he was solely a producer, he was the Swiss Army Knife for young Mancunian artists, producing, engineering, mixing, mastering, and even shooting music videos with a GoPro. Through a mixture of tireless curiosity and instinctive knack, he taught himself how to make beats, mix, master, engineer, and quickly made himself a sought-after talent up North.

“People don't have a lot of resources or opportunities, I guess. You make it yourself,” according to WhyJay. “If you're from London, you might have these big studios, and the labels are just down the street and everything, but if you're from Manchester, you're aware that you're an outsider. You know about the bands, you know about Factory Records and Joy Division, and all the acts that come from Manchester and the authenticity they've got. For me, that authenticity has got to be present in the identity. That's a Manchester thing.”

Eventually, WhyJay met his writing and production partner, Litek, through working with the same rappers and MCs, and putting in hours at the same studios. They became two of the main producers in Manchester, making a name and a living for themselves, charging the city’s rap scene for studio time and building up a strong network and an impressive reputation. It was during these sessions they eventually connected with now multi-platinum-selling rapper Aitch and his manager Michael Adex - the founder and CEO of NQ, a record label/recording studio/publishing house/management company that handles the pair’s publishing. 

Building up formidable reputations as individuals in grime and rap, they’ve now got the groundwork firmly in place to make moves for themselves. There are singles, live shows, DJ sets and ultimately, an album all being sketched out, but a more detailed plan is being kept under wraps for now. “Being producers, we're not just doing this one thing and hoping it works and trying to build this mad plan around it. It’s fluid, ever-changing.

“We want to put our identity into some music,” says WhyJay. “We've made other people's music for long enough. We want to dictate how it looks, how it sounds, and not have to have someone else tell us yes or no.”