Intro/Home Page/Contact Info

Welcome to Jay Steele's For Tha Love album website. To contact Jay please see the teal info below. PLEASE NOTE: You will not be able to view the entire site by scrolling down alone. To view the entire site, please see all sections listed on the right side of the page under January (2020). If they are not visible already, simply click on January to view all sections. Then click on the desired section.

to contact Jay you can email him at steele104@aol.com 

Album Artwork & Credits & Reviews

Tha album cover

Tha back of the album

Jay's original pencil drawing of the text appearing on the back cover before being added to photoshop and being manipulated

Jay's other original drawing of the text appearing on the back cover before being added to photoshop and being manipulated

Tha physical CD/disc 

This image (minus the brick wall behind it) appears behind the physical CD/disc 

The above credits page appears blurry on this site for some reason, but it is clear on the physical CD printing.

The original sketch by Jay of the For Tha Love album cover

Alternate Album Cover (slighty more blue teal)

Alternate Album Cover 2 (less lavender purple/gradient)

Album Reviews

***** (5 out of 5 stars)

Cee

This ALBUM is a CLASSIC!!! An artist can usually pull this off once in a life time.... Nas with illmatic, Jay-Z with Reasonable Doubt and Lauryn Hill with The Miseducation,... but Tha Truth /Jay Steele has done it under two names!!! He has an unbelievable gift and I enjoy every aspect of his work.. For Tha Love is in heavy rotation with songs like the Rhyme Conductor and Spreading Joy. I clean, cook, ride, shower, etc. to this album. The best album so far!

***** 

Paco

I put this album right up there with the best of the creative, fun, and positive rap albums of the golden age of hip-hop! It reminds me of De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, The Fresh Prince, and Rakim. This is a serious hip-hop classic! Stupendous material!

***** 

Olivia Rae (Music Journalist)

Jay Steele is doing nothing but good on his latest release 'For Tha Love.'  This a joyous record that takes hip hop and gives it an alternative makeover. Standing apart from the crowd just a bit, Jay Steele does his own thing in the modern era of the genre with an album that spans across 19 tracks. Tracks that include hints of jazz, maturity and a heavy dose of originality like “What I Can Do,” “Tha Rhyme Conductor,” and “Tha Underdog.”  Despite living with severe fibromyalgia, Steele thrives in his music. And for those thinking they’ve heard him before, that’s because for several years he was known as Tha Truth. While the name has changed, the drive and passion have not. Wanting to bring back the days of greats like De La Soul and Big Daddy Kane, Jay Steele is doing what he can to provide nostalgia wrapped in modern joy and spreading love and positive vibes with this alternative rap/jazz rap project 'For Tha Love.'

***** 

Amet

I am in awe of Jay’s musical ability. I love Givin Thanks and all the gratitude in it! The beginning reminds me of Barry White. This whole album really contains such clever and amazing rhymes. It’s amazing how Jay does it! Spreadin Joy is probably my favorite song. I love the concepts, how he spells out j-o-y and m-u-s-i-c, and the delivery. It’s so beautiful! I also love the track Rap Appreciation. This song and this album deserve a lot of appreciation! What I Can Do is tremendous as well. I love the uplifting message. I’m also amazed and impressed by Tha Rhyme Conductor, which is unbelievable and exciting! No Better Present is magnificent and right up there with Spreadin Joy as my favorite. I love the Spanish part in this and also in Jay Tha Magician, which is yet another spectacular song. Tha Underdog is amazing too and I love all the happy sounds. I love this album and I’m so glad Jay made it!

***** 

Jamie

I’m really digging the old school golden era smooth vibe. Jay’s lyrics and flow have really been refined. This is solid work! Thanks for the shout out too (Givin Thanks) haha! Jay really killed it on this record man. Lyrics are on point, great production, and really creative use of samples and skits. Whatever happens, Jay Steele has an insane body of work that he can look back on and be proud of. Tha Rhyme Conductor is a standout track for me. “Rhymes is like powerlines!” So many good lines in this. The artwork is killer too, love early 80s graffiti style, any references to that time period are awesome. Musical Family is solid too. Not many rappers out there can say they have legit real violin in their track! And I think the sentiment in the lyrics is great too. Peace Not War is really cool too because his flow is so tight and locked in, but it has this jazz drumming which makes it feel nice and flowing at the same time. Really cool contrast. I enjoyed all Jay’s albums when he rapped as “Tha Truth” but to me, this is the most cohesive of all his records – lyrics and sound-wise. This is definitely a 5 out of 5 stars.

*****

Mel L.

I like the different voices. Tha Rhyme Conductor is heavy and powerful and reminds me of Wu-Tang Clan. For Tha Love is mixed really well and sounds beautiful. I'm a big fan of Jay's 5 albums as "Tha Truth," but I like the fun lyricism - you can't be serious all the time. I love the message on the song Global NRG - that music is powerful! Yes brother!

****

Billy Buntin

I’ve been a fan of Jay’s work since his albums as Tha Truth. I LOVE what he’s doing on For Tha Love.  This is beautiful; dope to see how his art has progressed too!! The deep gravelly voice.  Kinda ethereal flow. Smooth kinda dreamy. Political Insights. But also in this I can see him getting into personal exposure here too. More than politics.  Who is Jay Steele?  Who is Tha Truth?  Amazing. This artist shows the way he thinks more on a personal level now, and it's like evolved where it's all about love. So dope man. I featured Spreading Joy and Tha Rhyme Conductor on my podcast. Im bumping TheRhymeConductor track ... hard.  Came out reminded me of Big Pun yo!! I’m also loving how Jay crushes on his wife on this and mentions her on like four tracks. And really, really impressive how he does a whole song about fibromyalgia! I can barely even say the word, and he’s doing a whole song about it! 

*****

Jackie 

This album is wonderful and beautiful and I love everything about it! I especially loved What I Can Do (about his disability), No Better Present (about my awesome daughter!), Spreadin Joy, and Musical Family (about his mom & family). It's hard to rate my favorite song on this, because I feel like they're all my favorite. I was thrilled to hear my name on the Shout Outs track! I was screaming in surprise and excitement! As his mother in law, I'm very proud of Jay. Overall, I love it, love it, love it!!! 

*****

Polyrical 

(www.bandcamp.com/Polyrical aka Russell Henderson)

So happy to see new music by Jay. All of "Tha Truth" albums he put out are brilliant, and flow and tone continue on this release. Looking forward to more. 

                         

                         

Biography & Album Notes

He married a compassionate special ed. teacher like the ones who helped him when he struggled so immensely early in life, and he made the music he wanted to hear in the world. After being diagnosed with a serious medical condition, he joined the ranks of the disabled musicians around the globe who didn’t let their disability stop them from bringing their art to life. After 20 years and 8 albums of having his music fueled in large part by disdain, anger, and disgust; this album is powered purely by love.

Eschewing celebrity, status, and ego, Jay Steele has expressed that his primary purpose now is making people happy with his music, which is especially epitomized in the lyrics of his song “Spreadin Joy.”

“I’ve seen the laughter, the smiles, the dancing, and the joy that my music has sparked in people,” Jay explains. “I feel like that’s worth more than any amount of money, and my goal now is to spread that joy to those who would appreciate it.”

The album’s positive vibes emanate resolutely right from the first two tracks. “Givin Thanks,” a “Juicy” by Biggie Smalls like autobiographical and jubilant tune, precedes the aforementioned song.

There is an unabashed emphasis on “For Tha Love” of taking the art of rhyme back to the foundation, which is evident in lyrics like, “Conscious raiser – orator – hip hop culture preservator – graffiti – breakin’ – rap – and DJ demonstrator,” which can be found on “Tha Rhyme Conductor.”

The project’s artwork resoundingly reflects this as well with graffiti on the front cover drawn by renowned graffiti artist “MindGem.” Then there is the graffiti on the back cover (of his name and album title) drawn by Jay himself, who is also a long time visual artist.

The beats on this album are very unique and diverse, or in the words of Abstrack Recording Studio engineer Jeff Mulligan, who worked on the project, “Nothin’ on here sounds the same.” Listeners will find a wide array of instrumentation ranging from mesmerizing keyboards, powerful orchestral notes, smooth electric piano, and mysterious and dramatic strings.

“Musical Family” may stand out the most, however, because it amounts to what may be the first mother and son collaboration in hip hop history. On this one, Jay raps over a violin played by his mom, who was Philadelphia All-City Orchestra in high school.

“We produced the beat together,” Jay says. “My mom came to the studio and played a violin rendition of a beat idea that I beatboxed for her.” Ultimately though, an alternative beat presented itself. “My mom didn’t want to stop playing and kept improvising different sounds with her violin,” Jay recalls. Then, as his mom tells it, “This place kept inspiring me to make all these mystical beats!” She ended up playing one that really piqued Jay’s interest and imagination, and from over 30 minutes of music, Jay selected a spectacular 3 second segment and looped it, and the familial collaboration was conceived.

Another beat that stands out for its eclectic originality is the Silent NRG produced “Global NRG.” This beat was brewed in Hong Kong, and the sounds of the region, including the 2,500 year old zheng string instrument, are inextricable.

Steele’s style showcases a proliferation of alliteration and sublime, tightly intertwined, timed rhymes combined with a mountain of metaphors. His vocals transmit in a raspier fashion half of the time, which has drawn comparisons to Nas. In tandem with his standard tone, the resulting vocal variety makes for a sonically dynamic contrast.

Jay’s customary voice projects very deep, powerful, and smooth in a manner evoking iconic emcees like Big Daddy Kane, Parrish Smith (of EPMD), Doctor Dre, and The Fresh Prince. In fact, some may find “Givin Thanks” to be reminiscent of the timeless classic hit “Summertime,” with Jay espousing meaningful, grateful, and highly relatable lyrics with smooth flavor like that of Will Smith himself.

Of course, when it comes to lyricism, “Tha Rhyme Conductor” again must be discussed. With its crazy combination of crafty puns and metaphors, combined with a myriad of creatively placed, high voltage, cinematic sound effects, this concoction could certainly be described as electrifying. Listening to the lyrics, it’s clear that this type of effect is the intent. “I feel like I was able to summon up all of my creativity, and energy, and to unleash it on this one,” Jay recounts.

Steele’s writing has been catapulted by love, which is abundantly apparent in “No Better Present,” a romantic love song capable of conjuring memories of classic raps like “The Lover in You” by Big Daddy Kane and Method Man’s “You’re All I Need.” The continuity ensues with “Rap Appreciation,” which is a nostalgic love letter to hip-hop itself. It could be construed as a happier version of Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R."

“What I Can Do” is yet another very personally revealing and meaningful collection of lyrics. This composition is dedicated to those contending with cases of severe fibromyalgia, as he is. The lyrics depict a bit of what it’s like to experience this disease while offering hope in the form of ideas to help manage it. It ends by revealing that Steele has been a leader of a New Jersey support group for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and he concludes by providing his email address for those who would be interested in receiving a comprehensive list of resources that could be helpful for managing the disabilities/symptoms.

“Peace Not War” features a rare portrait of a rapper acknowledging his own specific character flaws in an effort toward personal growth. This aim imbues ideas in lines like, “Trying to change everybody – everybody but me – what I need is less me – and more humility.” Jay actually intended to put this track on his album “Solid Steele,” which is comprised of material he made between the years 2001-2006. (It should be noted that from 2006-2013 he released 5 albums, including “Music for a Better World,” under the name “Tha Truth,” which have had a global impact in their promotion of human rights.)

“I didn’t think I was physically capable of recording much ever again when I wrote Peace Not War,” Jay acknowledges. “I was just going to put it on “Solid Steele,” but my wife said she thought I should make a whole new album. She said that’s what she wanted, and that’s when I decided to try and do it.”

An additional aspect of note about this album is the exuberant exhibition of echoes. When Jay first began recording at Mulligan’s studio in Deptford, NJ, the engineer was left awestruck. After amassing decades of studio experience he reflected, “I’ve seen a lot of people try to do that [with echoes], but I’ve never heard anyone do it so well.” Subsequently, when Jay asked him to use his equipment to provide an echo, Jeff responded, “I like it better when you do it.” Alas, from that point on Mulligan began referring to Jay as both “The Echo Messiah” and “The Human Echo Machine.” The latter became the title of an interlude that encapsulates their amusement at the fact that Jay ended up performing virtually the entirety of echoes heard on the project without the aid of studio generated echo effects.

Overall, “For Tha Love” harkens back to the days when hip hop was more innovative, fun, and positive, and artists like De La Soul, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Tribe Called Quest, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Heavy D, and Kid ‘n Play ruled the day. “Rap Appreciation” is a quintessential ode paying tribute to artists like this that really gets to the heart of the idea of keeping these types of vibes alive (and flowing and growing).

Steele began rhyming while residing in Echelon, NJ, not far from his birthplace of Philadelphia. Jay has come a long way since his early days of raps racked with anger and vengeance (assembled after a tumultuous childhood).

Simply put, “For Tha Love” is the culmination of Jay’s trials and tribulations. It exudes the totality of his musical passion, dedication, and versatility.

It is a return to the vibes of yesteryear and a trip back to raps packed with fun, positive, mature, meaningful, and creative content. In the end, it’s music made by and “For Tha Love.”

Quick Album Description:

Sounds like Tha Fresh Prince's "Summertime" combined with rhymes like Tribe, Rakim, and Nas, that move smooth like Kane, Pete Rock & CL, with fun and positive presence like De La, KRS, Heavy D, and Kid 'N Play.

Discography (List of Studio Albums)

Photos of Jay Part 1 (For Tha Love)

              







                                            Welcome to part one of the photos section
                                              Please scroll down to view the pictures...




























              Each picture below represents a song and its concepts on the For Tha Love album. 


                                             

Tha Underdog & No Better Present at Abstrack Recording Studio representing 2 songs

        

Spreadin Joy

Jay Tha Magician (smoke and magic may be added to this picture soon...que dramatic music now...)

"It's Jay Tha Magician this track an exhibition of the magic that's packed in the raps that I'm bringin"

               

"On this track I'm explainin my Rap Appreciation"

Steele Rappin

The Rhyme Conductor (lightning may be sparking from my finger soon. Look out!)

"I'm like a natural disaster I'm a type of force of nature recordin flavor so precise I might morph into a laser"

                               

"Smooth like Will Smith in Hitch witness the smoothness is bliss"

"It's somethin' 'bout the rhyme that hits you right every time/That's why I write these lines for the art in my heart"

What I Can Do - The United Kingdom's Big Ear Radio Show feature on this song and 

managing fibromyalgia can be heard here and here

Working the boards at Abstrack Recording Studio on For Tha Love

Thanks for visiting the Photos Part 1 section representing tha For Tha Love album photoshoot!

Photos of Jay Part 2 (Various)

                                            Welcome to part two of the photos section.

                                              Please scroll down to view the pictures...






























This section contains various photos of Jay Steele from over the years. For photos taken while making the album For Tha Love, see the Photos Part 1 section.

From a photo shoot for "Tha Truth"

At Fenway Park in Boston

With a fresh shape up. After learning from barbers for years, I always cut my own hair.

3 mammals born in Philly (At the Philadelphia Zoo)

A photo shoot Big Cee asked me to do

At Cape May Zoo in NJ with the sun in my eyes. Big Cee joked that this is the "I will vanquish all evil" face.

with the ever present STEELE reusable water bottle

In Pittsburgh on the way to a Pirates game

Descending into the dark coolness of the cave at Crystal Cave in PA

In Boston where one of my favorite shows "Boston Public" took place

at the Roberto Clemente statue outside the Pirates stadium in Pittsburgh

In Pittsburgh taking in the legacy of Roberto Clemente on the bridge named after him

Me actually smiling in a photo. When I look much bigger in some pictures it's because it's before fibromyalgia. This was at the Field of Terror Haunted Hayride in East Windsor, NJ.

At the Field of Terror Hayride in Central NJ

At an alpaca farm in NJ. Have you ever seen an alpaca? Sometimes they have big smiles. 

                       

Coming out of Crystal Cave in PA

Art Part 3 (Jay's Earlier Drawings)

I remember Spider- Man being my favorite superhero from an early age. He was my first Halloween costume when I was about 5 years old. As an adult, I can appreciate his story with him being misunderstood, unappreciated, poor, picked on, overlooked, etc. I also like his sense of humor. I really like how this drawing came out.

This was a drawing I did of a logo of a cartoon I used to watch. After drawing it in pencil, I used a black marker to further define it. It was not quick or easy to put all that marker in and around those letters, but I thought it came out great in the end!

I drew this because I felt it encapsulated being a voracious and formidable rebounder on the basketball court, which I am happy to say I became. I loved rebounding and I felt like I was flying for a second or two when I soared to ensnare errant shots. All my time in the weight room really helped when combined with my reflexes, coordination, and instincts. On the actual paper I wrote "The Art of Rebounding" as a caption beneath the drawing.

I drew this Charlotte Hornets logo as a young teenager. Over 20 years later I colored it in (as seen in Art Part 2)

From a technical standpoint, I feel this is probably the best overall drawing I ever did (when considering all aspects from shading to detail to shape recreation, etc.) I was around 20 when I drew it. I was a big Michael Jordan fan then. That faded as I grew and came to admire more humble and selfless players like Steve Nash and Kawhi Leonard but my technical appreciation of the artwork endured.

Michael Jai White as Al Simmons in the movie Spawn. This is one of my favorite action films ever. It has a good message. I wrote more about this below beneath my other Spawn film drawing.

I drew this character from a video game I played when I was young. I thought for some reason that I'd be able to draw him really well and indeed I was very happy with the finished art.

I spent more time on this drawing of my favorite bodybuilder (as a teen) Paul Dillet than I spent on any other ever. This took me like 200 hours. I broke it up and did it in sections over months. So much shading!!! So much pencil! Can you believe that background is all dark hard pushed pencil?! Obviously as a youngster I was captivated by bodybuilding.

I drew this "Musclehedz" cartoon during my tenure as an aspiring bodybuilder.

This is an unfinished bust/portrait I drew of Paul Dillet. The light of the photo made the pencil shine a lot in this picture.

I drew and colored this as a mandatory assignment for an art class that I took with Dr. Burton Wasserman at Rowan University. It's of an abstract portrait of Andy Warhol that hung in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I had to visit the museum, select an artwork featured there, draw and color it, and analyze it using what we learned from the course. It's in plastic in one of my art books that snaps shut (as can be seen on the right).

I drew this portrait as a teen of teen Kobe Bryant announcing he was going directly from highschool to the NBA in 1996. I was a fan of his when he first came in the league but that faded over time. However, I still like how the drawing came out.

This is a comic book style version animation I drew of NBA marvel Shawn Kemp 

I drew this picture of Michael Jai White as Al Simmons from the movie Spawn. I loved the movie and when I was asked in my early 20's which movie best described my life, I chose Spawn, because I could relate to having been through hell and coming back full of vengeance and having to deal with that. I detailed this on my "Tha Call of Tha Wild" album that I recorded in my early 20's under the artist name "Tha Mad Dog."

I used to like football and thought this drawing of Napolean Kaufman came out excellent. 

I thought this drawing I did as a young teen of Garfield came out well.

This is a cartoon I drew of Chris Webber when I was very young and he played for the Golden State Warriors.

I drew this logo of TNT from the 90's because I loved that channel back then when it was the only way to really see the sensational Shawn Kemp at the time.

 Shawn Kemp of the Seattle Supersonics was one of my favorite players ever. I loved how this cartoon of him came out.

I drew this so hard with the pencil that it wrinkled the paper a little bit. I loved the Sonics green & yellow colors in the 90s.