The Playground Meets: CeddyJay
Written by: Virginia “Steph” Donalds
“If it wasn’t for music I don’t think I would be here…throughout all the hardships, music is really the only outlet where I can get it off in a healthy way”
In life, there’s times where it’s difficult to express yourself when things don’t seem right, especially in a constructive way. Music is not only an art form but a way that so many people can release all their inhibitions, Natasha Bedingfield intended. One artist who lives by this is Brooklyn artist, CeddyJay CeddyJay is a rising star coming out of East Flatbush, Brooklyn. For the last few years, he’s been using his witty words and daunting production to become a household name in Brooklyn. The 22-year-old artist sat down with The Playground’s, Steph, to talk about his musical journey, how his culture impacts him and how he’s able to use music as a healthy coping mechanism.
East Flatbush is a neighborhood known for its rich West Indian culture; one that not only has amazing music, but instills values such as honesty, morality, and tradition. As someone who is of Haitian descent, CeddyJay makes sure he keeps his roots close to him. He even mentions that sometimes he feels closest to his Haitian heritage when he performs. Having these values imprinted in Ceddy growing up molded him into the person he is today; someone filled with drive, a courageous spirit and someone who doesn’t let his obstacles define him.
CeddyJay’s love for music began from a young age. Both of his parents are lovers of music, but his dad had a bit more of a significant effect on the Brooklyn rapper. His father was also a rapper from East NY, Brooklyn, introducing Ceddy to the sounds of legendary New York icons such as DMX, The Lox, Jay Z, Nas and so many more. But over time as Ceddy grew to understand his own taste in Hip-Hop, he began to admire artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Method Man and ODB from the Wu Tang Clan and more. These are the artists that show him how illustrious lyricism and a little creative flare is the recipe for creating incredible music.
At the top of 2020, CeddyJay released his self-titled EP, Ceddy, a few days before his birthday. The project not only gives a better insight as to who CeddyJay is but shows the maturity he’s built over time. Ceddy is a sonic illustration of the rapper’s development as a person and overall artist. One of the most notable tracks from the EP [and also our personal favorite] is “8PM in Dumbo”. This moving song tells the story about the love he once experienced and how it impacted his life. The rapper tells The Playground that Dumbo is a place that’s very special to him, one where he goes often to find peace and inspiration for his writing. It was a special song for CeddyJay for it was an opportunity for listeners to get a deeper insight of Ceddy’s life and how he’s able to grow from the things that have hurt him in the past. One takeaway he wanted his listeners to understand is that even amongst the uncertainty, he was still able to create magic.
CeddyJay isn’t stopping anytime soon. He is set to drop a new body of work at the end of Fall, a follow up to his 2020 EP Ceddy. This will detail his first heart break and the experiences he went through while trying to mend the broken pieces. This will tell the tale of finding himself healing from the break up while creating the project. We can’t wait to see the art that CeddyJay produces next.
To keep up with CeddyJay, follow him on Instagram. For more interviews like these, check out our featured posts.