Biography
YBN Almighty Jay shifted from long-held rap ambitions and casual home recordings into genuine fame after years of preparation. Early on his interests spanned rapping, gaming, and YouTube aspirations alike, and as a teen he formed ties with other rappers through Xbox Live sessions. Those gaming connections later coalesced into the YBN collective, the crew alongside whom he would release solo material and collaborate. His initial breakthrough arrived in late 2017 via the viral single “Chopsticks,” after which further solo tracks and high-profile guest spots on major releases increased his visibility.
Texas-born Jay Bradley first absorbed his mother’s gospel music before discovering rap and composing his own rhymes by age nine. In his teens he pursued YouTube fame under the name King Almighty Jay, taking the moniker from Chief Keef’s 2013 mixtape Almighty So. An avid gamer, he regularly met fellow players on Xbox Live and around 2014 befriended Nick Simmons, another gamer from Birmingham, Alabama. That meeting launched the YBN crew, initially a gaming group that turned musical once the remote friends began trading freestyles while playing Grand Theft Auto. For several subsequent years Jay and Simmons—who performed as YBN Nahmir—separately wrote and recorded, sharing tracks and mixtapes online. They first met in person in 2017, shortly after YBN Nahmir’s breakthrough single “Rubbin Off the Paint.” Jay’s career accelerated with the viral single and video “Chopsticks” plus a distribution deal through Human Re Sources, the same company that advanced Nahmir. Several YBN Almighty Jay tracks reached major streaming platforms in 2018, among them the Rich the Kid remix of “Chopsticks,” “Takin Off,” “Bread Winners” with Nahmir, “2 Tone Drip,” and “Off Instagram.” Throughout 2018 Jay also joined Rich the Kid on multiple tracks and drew outside attention for his relationship with model and entrepreneur Blac Chyna. Though the wider YBN collective comprised roughly ten members, Jay belonged to the core trio alongside Nahmir and YBN Cordae. Fall 2018 saw the release of YBN: The Mixtape, gathering standout cuts from these central YBN figures. The single “Spaceship” followed in July 2019.
Texas-born Jay Bradley first absorbed his mother’s gospel music before discovering rap and composing his own rhymes by age nine. In his teens he pursued YouTube fame under the name King Almighty Jay, taking the moniker from Chief Keef’s 2013 mixtape Almighty So. An avid gamer, he regularly met fellow players on Xbox Live and around 2014 befriended Nick Simmons, another gamer from Birmingham, Alabama. That meeting launched the YBN crew, initially a gaming group that turned musical once the remote friends began trading freestyles while playing Grand Theft Auto. For several subsequent years Jay and Simmons—who performed as YBN Nahmir—separately wrote and recorded, sharing tracks and mixtapes online. They first met in person in 2017, shortly after YBN Nahmir’s breakthrough single “Rubbin Off the Paint.” Jay’s career accelerated with the viral single and video “Chopsticks” plus a distribution deal through Human Re Sources, the same company that advanced Nahmir. Several YBN Almighty Jay tracks reached major streaming platforms in 2018, among them the Rich the Kid remix of “Chopsticks,” “Takin Off,” “Bread Winners” with Nahmir, “2 Tone Drip,” and “Off Instagram.” Throughout 2018 Jay also joined Rich the Kid on multiple tracks and drew outside attention for his relationship with model and entrepreneur Blac Chyna. Though the wider YBN collective comprised roughly ten members, Jay belonged to the core trio alongside Nahmir and YBN Cordae. Fall 2018 saw the release of YBN: The Mixtape, gathering standout cuts from these central YBN figures. The single “Spaceship” followed in July 2019.
Albums
Singles
