Sound

Jay Electronica

Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah (born Timothy Elpadaro Thedford; September 19, 1976), known professionally as Jay Electronica (stylized as J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in New Orleans, he first saw recognition with release of his debut mixtape, Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) (2007). Its success, along with his standalone single "Exhibit C", led fellow American rapper Jay-Z to sign Electronica to his Roc Nation label—following a multi-label bidding war—in 2010. His debut studio album, A Written Testimony (2020), was met with critical acclaim and entered the Billboard 200 at number 12, alongside peaking within the top 10 of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, specifically at number 8; it was followed by his second studio album, Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn) (2020) in October of that same year, although it was originally recorded from 2010 to 2012. His guest appearance on fellow Jay-Z protégé Kanye West's 2021 song, "Jesus Lord", marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 26 on the chart. In 2025, he re-released Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) and Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn). These re-releases were followed by three mini-albums, A Written Testimony: Leaflets, A Written Testimony: Power at the Rate of My Dreams, and A Written Testimony: Mars, the Inhabited Planet. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with artists such as Justin Bieber, J. Cole, Mos Def, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Mac Miller, Common, The Game, MF Doom, Chance the Rapper, and Vince Staples, alongside others. He also produced the opening track to Nas' untitled studio album (2008). He was married to fellow American musician Erykah Badu for five years.