"What is the state of Bars in 2025? Do they still exist? Do they matter? Jay Electronica certainly believes so: He has descended from the mountaintop carrying two stone tablets-er, two albums and an EP-which purport to contain the words of the most high. Over the past week, the reclusive rapper has released the albums A Written Testimony: Leaflets and A Written Testimony: Mars, The Inhabited Planet, as well as the EP A Written Testimony: Power At The Rate Of My Dreams."
"Jay Electronica is a mysterious figure in rap: a New Orleans-born emcee who figures prominently as a member of the Nation of Islam and carries the mystique of an MF Doom-like character, lurking in the shadows, unrestrained by the machinations of the music industry. Almost the entirety of the height of his buzz was marked by silence. After his Act I: Eternal Sunshine mixtape made him an instant underground darling in 2007, Jay didn't put out a single project until his joint album with Jay-Z in 2020."
Jay Electronica returned in 2025 with three new projects: the albums A Written Testimony: Leaflets and A Written Testimony: Mars, The Inhabited Planet, and the EP A Written Testimony: Power At The Rate Of My Dreams, plus a digital re-release of Act II: The Patents of Nobility. These releases follow 2020's A Written Testimony and include his first official album that isn't half Jay-Z verses. He is a New Orleans-born emcee associated with the Nation of Islam and known for a reclusive, mystique-laden persona. His music frequently uses spoken-word samples and centers on conspiracy, God, UFOs, and magic. His limited output is notable for technical skill, a deep commanding voice, witty weighty lyrics, and tracks that preserve his prestige despite scarcity of releases.
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